


The Admirer and the Sage

by tetra26 (batty_gal)



Category: Kyou Kara Maou
Genre: Drama, Humor, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-01-19
Updated: 2009-01-19
Packaged: 2017-10-11 08:56:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 23,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/110636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/batty_gal/pseuds/tetra26
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After returning from Earth, Murata has an accident and starts to act weird. Also, a mysterious man decides to have fun at everyone's expense. Wolfram is sexually harassed, Shinou and Yozak are amused, the others are perplexed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Slip and Fall

**Author's Note:**

> If you're worried about Yuuri-bashing in this fic, don't. He will come across as dense and insensitive at times, but chapter 10 explains everything. Yuuri and Murata are about 20-21 in this fic.

Chapter 1: Slip and Fall

* * *

"Man, I thought that exam would never end!" exclaimed an exasperated Shibuya Yuuri to his friend, Murata Ken. They had just finished a final exam in one of their college courses, and were walking towards the train station from the University.

"I know what you mean," Murata said, tiredly. He had crammed all night for the exam, and was so sleepy that his vision was starting to blur. He wanted nothing more than to go home and crawl into bed.

"How do you think you did on the exam, Murata?"

"I'm pretty sure I did well," Murata said.

"Lucky you, I can only hope to have passed it," Yuuri said with a sigh. "Anyhow, let's celebrate!" he said, already cheering up.

Murata inwardly groaned. The only way he wanted to celebrate was by sleeping. "Celebrate how?" he asked.

"How about we go to that club we went to a few months ago? You haven't been out with me in quite some time, and it's kind of boring without someone else going along."

Murata sighed. The last thing he wanted to do was to go somewhere loud like a club, so he tried to steer Yuuri towards something less hectic. "I thought you didn't like clubs? Why go to one? We can do something else."

The other man grinned sheepishly. "Well, every since Wolfram gave me my freedom, I've become more interested in things like that," he said. He scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion. "Though, I'm still not sure why he finally renounced our engagement after all this time."

Murata glared incredulously at his friend, who had turned away from him and was buying tokens for the train. After all this time, he could not believe how dense Yuuri could be. For five Earth years Yuuri had been engaged to Wolfram, and he had never understood that Wolfram stayed engaged to him because he was in love with him.

He thought back to how surprised he had been last year when Wolfram had walked up to Yuuri, after one of his returns to Shin Makoku, and backhanded him across the right cheek. Yuuri had looked shocked and confused, as did everyone else. However, nothing matched the look on Wolfram's face, which was one of both determination and defeat.

_'I reject you,' _Wolfram had said to Yuuri, before turning and walking off. Yuuri had asked those around him what Wolfram had meant by it, and Günter had told him that he had rejected his proposal. Yuuri had been surprised about it, and was worried that Wolfram would leave the castle again.

However, things didn't change that much after that. When duty called, or if there was a mission that needed to be undertaken, Wolfram was the first by Yuuri's side. The only big difference, other than not being engaged anymore, was that Wolfram no longer slept in Yuuri's bed, nor did he put up a fuss when women (or men) flirted with Yuuri around him. At those times, he simply turned his head, or silently slipped away.

"Murata? Murata, are you listening to me?" Yuuri asked, interrupting his thoughts.

Murata shook his head, as if to clear out thoughts of Wolfram. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I said, are you going with me tonight or not?"

"I don't know, Shibuya. I'm kind of tired."

"What's with you lately? You haven't been out with me in awhile. Usually it was you dragging me out, but lately you've been distant," Yuuri said as he boarded the train.

"I don't know," Murata said again as he followed Yuuri on the train. "I guess my studies have taken their toll on me," he replied.

It was partially true, but not the biggest reason. The biggest reason was that Murata was _bored_. He was _bored_ of the nightlife scene, _bored_ with having random people paw at him in the club, and _bored_ with waking up in some random woman's (and, occasionally, man's – though Yuuri was unaware of it) bed the next morning after a drunken tryst. Even in Shin Makoku, he found his fleeting love affairs _boring_. The last ten or so times he followed that pattern, he had felt so empty inside afterwards. It was a feeling that he did not like, not one bit.

"Come on, go with me, please?" Yuuri begged.

Murata looked over to the other man, who was giving him puppy dog eyes. He sighed again.

"Fine, but I'm not staying long."

* * *

The club was packed, just like Murata knew it would be. There were so many people there that one could barely maneuver through the crowd. He was almost certain there was some sort of building code violation being broken. He made his way to a table and sat down.

He had lost Yuuri in the crowd the minute he walked in. Murata glanced around, but caught no sight of him. He sighed, and put his head down on the table. He was so tired that he barely had enough energy to lift his head to order a drink when the waitress came.

Murata wasn't surprised when, not too long after having entered the place, he developed a headache. He marveled at how the throbbing in his head managed to time itself to the beat of whatever song was playing, fast or slow. He entertained himself by counting the beating throbs in his head, and didn't notice when Yuuri flopped down across from him.

"Murata, are you okay?" Yuuri asked, startling him out of his mental symphony.

"Not really. I have a headache and I'm sleepy," he said, yawning for emphasis. "Don't worry about me, you have fun on your own, I'll be alright."

"I don't want to just leave you here. Besides, I'm still not good at this sort of thing."

Murata looked up and saw that his friend was blushing. It clicked to him that Yuuri was looking to pick someone up, and needed his assistance in doing so. He sighed, again.

"Fine, fine... who's your target?" he asked.

Yuuri pointed towards a short brunette that was with a slightly taller girl. "I've been talking with her," he said.

"So, you want me to steer the friend away somehow for you? She's kind of cute, so I'll help," he said.

Murata downed his drink in a few gulps, sat the glass down, and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Remember, we have to make our way to Shin Makoku tomorrow, so make it fast tonight and get some rest," he said.

Both men stood up, and made their way towards the ladies.

* * *

The friend turned out to be loud, obnoxious, and arrogant, and Murata cursed Yuuri under his breath while he waited for the other man to get away with the girl's friend. He pasted a fake smile on his face while half-listening to the girl tear down the other women in the club with insults about their hair, clothing, and shoes.

He couldn't wait to ditch her, and resolved himself to going home without anyone and using his time alone to get some sleep before the next day's trip. He looked at Yuuri, who was obviously irritated by the other girl as well, and sighed.

"How about we dance?" he asked the girl, interrupting her bashing on another lady who had the audacity, in her opinion, to wear black stockings with white shoes. He held out his hand to her, and she accepted it. He led her to the dance floor, not missing the relieved and grateful look on Yuuri's face.

He kept the girl occupied by dancing with her through several songs. He watched as Yuuri ventured towards the exit with the other girl, and felt relief. Murata was annoyed that the girl he was dancing with managed to dance and rant about the fashion choices of others at the same time, and his headache grew.

After Yuuri had been gone for about fifteen minutes, he broke away from the girl with the excuse that he saw his ex there and that he still loved her and wanted to reconcile, and was amused when she stomped off in a huff.

Murata was finally free, and was all set to go home. He began making his way to the exit, but someone pushed at him and caused him to fall, and he accidentally took down a woman with him.

"I'm sorry, I'm so very sorry, someone pushed me," he apologized. He had managed to break the girl's fall with his body at the last minute.

"It's alright, I'm fine," she said, in broken Japanese, as she got up off of him. She put her hand out to help him up, and he accepted.

"Thanks, and once again, I'm really sorry," he said, sheepishly. He got a good look at the girl.

She was half-Japanese, half-Caucasian, with blonde hair and emerald green eyes. For the first time, in months, he felt interested. He knew that he needed to get some rest, but he threw all caution to the wind.

"How about I buy you a drink so that you'll _really_ forgive me?" he said, giving her a flirting smile. He realized that he was still holding her hand, and brought it to his mouth and kissed it.

He watched as she blushed deeply. "That's fine," she said, in her broken accent. Murata smiled back, and led her to the bar, her hand still in his.

* * *

They talked and drank together for about an hour. Neither bothered to ask the other's name, for they both knew that whatever was ahead was for one night only. Though Murata was still tired, the conversation kept him alert even though he was getting drunker and drunker.

She was much better company than the girl before, and made him laugh. He returned the favor, and made her laugh. They laughed together as they left the club, as they got into the taxicab, as they stumbled their way to her hotel room.

They laughed at how Murata's urgency to get his pants off caused him to fall on his bare behind, laughed more when they decided that blowing up condoms were just as interesting as putting them on, and laughed even harder when they drunkenly started to bat the blown-up condoms at each other and forgot that they were supposed to be having sex.

Murata watched as she threw her head back and went into another laughing fit. When she opened her eyes, he studied them, and realized that they were the same shade as Wolfram's.

For some reason, that turned him on, and he predatorily made his way towards her. She noticed the shift in his behavior, and also remembered what they were there to do.

They didn't stop doing it until the sun was up.

* * *

Murata had just made his way home and showered before Yuuri showed up, bright-eyed and cheerful.

"So, Murata, are you ready to go?" he said.

Murata wanted to kill him for being so perky that early in the morning, especially since he still had not gotten any sleep and was tired and hung over from the night before. He cursed himself for not taking his own advice to Yuuri about not overdoing it.

"Yes, I guess we can go," he said, with a sigh. He eyeballed the other man, who looked well-rested. "So, how was your night?"

Yuuri blushed. "It was alright," he mumbled.

Murata chucked at how innocent Yuuri still was as they made their way to his bathroom. He was glad that he wasn't fully dressed, and thought that it would be fun to show up in his underwear only and give everyone there an eyeful. He figured that he could also use the excuse of needing to put clothing on to make his way to his room in the shrine, and sleep off the hangover.

He clogged the drain of the bathtub and filled it halfway with water. Both he and Yuuri stepped in, and the familiar swirl of water sent them back to Shin Makoku.

* * *

Murata reminded himself, as he stood up and clutched the statue in the fountain, to never make such a trip while hung over and tired again. He was dizzy, felt like retching, and had to hold himself still for several moments.

Upon steadying himself, he stood up and turned towards the crowd that had gathered. He was amused to find that his underwear idea had been even more effective than he thought. He willed himself not to laugh out loud at the looks that he was receiving.

Several of the shrine maidens were red-faced, and were staring at his crotch. Conrart and Gwendal were looking everywhere except at him while trying to talk to Yuuri, while Yozak winked at him obnoxiously after eyeballing him in an exaggerated fashion.

Günter's expression, however, was priceless. The man was staring at him in shock, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. Murata had to suppress the laughter that threatened to come out of him.

He was disappointed, however, that Wolfram wasn't there to witness anything. Murata would have loved to see the look on his face upon coming across his half-naked form. Murata was proud of his body, after all. He had filled out nicely in the years since he first came back to Shin Makoku, and had grown several inches taller. He knew he was vain, but he didn't care. His looks often worked in his favor.

He pushed his glasses up on his face. "Well, I guess I'd better make my way to my room and get some clothing on. I'll see you all later," he said as he stepped out of the fountain.

Unfortunately, he lost his footing. A combination of being tired and hungover prevented him from steadying himself and bracing for the fall. He fell back, and struck his head on the fountain, hard. It was like thousands of fireworks went off in his head at one time, and the pain was unbearable. He groaned and rolled onto his side, and brought his hand to the back of his head.

Murata felt the wetness, and knew that it was blood. He brought his hand back around to his face and stared at his bloody hand. He heard shouting from others, but was in too much pain to make out the words. The sound of their footsteps pounding against the pavement rang in his ears, and he looked up at their blurred, horrified faces.

Murata felt someone lift him, and a tuft of lavender hair that fell in his face let him know it was Günter that had done so.

It was the very last thing he saw before darkness overcame him.

* * *

"Be careful."

"Don't overdo it."

"I wish Gisela was here to do this, instead."

"Yeah, he would have been awake if she were here."

"Would you all kindly shut up and get out if you're not going to be helpful?"

Murata, who was teetering on the brink of consciousness, could hear the people in the room arguing over him, but was unable to fully awaken. His head still throbbed, though the pain was noticeably less than it had been.

From what he could tell, it was Wolfram who was attempting to heal him. He felt comforted as the warm sensation of Wolfram's healing powers returned to his body, and allowed himself to drift back into unconsciousness for awhile.

He came back to a semi-conscious state when he felt Wolfram's powers leave him, and was surprised to find that the other man was running his fingers through his hair and telling him he would be fine. This brought him to a more conscious state, and he slowly opened his eyes.

Murata looked up at Wolfram, who was sitting by his bed, stroking his hair. He watched as his face went from concerned to relieved.

"Welcome back, Sage," Wolfram said, softly. He gave Murata a slight smile. "How do you feel?"

There were a million responses that Murata could have gave him to his question. However, in his dazed state, he said the very first thing that came to his mind instead.

"You're so... beautiful," he said.

Wolfram yanked his hand out of Murata's hair, quickly. "What?" he yelped.

Murata took in his expression. Wolfram had a shocked look on his face, and was pushing himself as far back into his chair as possible. He was holding the wrist of the hand that had been stroking his hair.

"Beautiful," he said again, and felt himself trying to lapse back into unconsciousness. His eyelids fluttered closed.

"Wolfram, is he alright?" he heard Gwendal ask.

"There's not any permanent damage, right?" Conrart and Günter asked, simultaneously..

"There shouldn't be, but someone needs to keep an eye on him for awhile," Wolfram said, warily. "Yuuri, you should stay here and keep watch over him."

"You're the one that knows more about this, I don't. You are the best choice," Yuuri said.

"He's your friend! Why can't you do it? You have healing powers as well."

"But I don't know how to use them as well as you!"

"Fine, fine, I'll do it. But the first time he attempts something perverted on me, I'm frying him."

"Murata wouldn't do that to you, he likes girls."

"Whatever."

"Beautiful... Wolfram," Murata said, as he slipped completely away from consciousness once again, completely missing the shriek of protest from Wolfram and the nervous chatter of the others.


	2. Who's That Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an annoying week of dealing with a weird-acting Murata, Wolfram returns to his room to brood alone -- or so he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Admirer and the Sage

"Ah, I'm so tired," Wolfram moaned as he trudged into his room from the baths. The day had been long and hard, and he was worn out. He wanted to throw himself on the bed and sleep as long as he could. He pulled the towel from his waist and tossed it aside. He picked up his night clothing, looked at them, and sighed.

Pale yellow and sensible was his opinion of them. Gone was the pink frilly _thing_ that he had worn to bed with Yuuri for years. The first thing he did after breaking his engagement for the final time was burn the stupid _thing_, which had served – or rather, not served – its purpose.

He wasn't sad to see it go, however. He hadn't liked the _thing_; he only wore it in an attempt to get Yuuri's attention. It had gotten his attention alright, just not in the way that Wolfram intended. He sighed again as he pulled the pajama pants on. He cast the top aside because he was already hot, and didn't want the extra fabric getting in his way.

After flopping down on the bed without bothering to pull back the covers and get in, Wolfram stared up at the ceiling, lost in his thoughts. The past week had been chaotic due to the Great Sage injuring himself, and Wolfram's return to his normal routine after Murata had gotten better had been most welcome.

It wasn't that Wolfram disliked the Sage, but it had been annoying to watch over him. Physically, he had healed properly, but there was something _off_ about the way he was acting. The others had been so worried about him that they moved him into a room in the castle temporarily, and Wolfram stayed in – or, rather, was _nominated_ to stay in - Murata's room while keeping watch over him.

The Sage had severe nightmares though, sometimes screaming out in his sleep. If he didn't scream, he'd mumble things that Wolfram didn't understand, and would often cry. He felt pity for the Sage, and understood that having lived through so many lifetimes and having experienced so much pain had been hard on him.

What he didn't understand, however, was Murata's constant come-ons to him. They often came out of nowhere; one minute he would be laying there and taking it easy, the next he would be doing his best to touch Wolfram in the most inappropriate of ways. Initially, Wolfram had shared a bed with Murata, but after being startled out of his sleep one night due to the Sage's hands roaming in places where they did _not_ belong, Wolfram had taken to sleeping on the floor instead. And, whenever Wolfram would try to confront Murata about his advances, he would feign ignorance, as if nothing had happened.

It had been maddening to Wolfram, who was sexually frustrated to begin with. He had practically skipped out of Murata's temporary room with his things when the others had finally agreed with him that the Sage was alright and could return to the shrine. He knew that if he had stayed with the Sage any longer, he probably would have ended up doing something that they'd both have regretted.

Besides, as far as Wolfram had been concerned, that would have been taking advantage of the Sage. He was all too aware, as Yuuri had pointed out to him _frequently_ when he complained about being sexually harassed by Murata, that he was interested in girls only. Every one chalked his behavior up to being a result of the injury, and essentially told him to bear with it. He gritted his teeth upon remembering how the others had been completely inconsiderate of his situation.

In his opinion, they always took his feelings lightly, as if they didn't matter at all. Sometimes he wondered why he even stayed at the castle anymore; it essentially amounted to putting himself through unnecessary abuse and heartache. Wolfram knew he would be more than welcome back in the Bielefeld territory, as his uncle stressed each time they crossed paths.

Not for the first time in his life, Wolfram seriously considered taking his uncle up on his offer. He was never one to run away from his problems, which was one of the reasons why he didn't leave immediately after renouncing his engagement with Yuuri. As badly as he wanted to leave, he stayed anyway. As much as it hurt him to be so close to someone he loved, who didn't return his feelings, he still stood by his side.

Perhaps the easiest thing to do would have been to leave then, but Wolfram couldn't bring himself to do that to Yuuri. He may have been dense, indifferent to his romantic overtures, and didn't return his feelings, but through all that Yuuri was still Wolfram's friend and insisted that he stay by his side. Wolfram knew that if he left at that time, their friendship would have ended completely – and he was unwilling to toss it out.

So he stuck around and toughed the roughest part out. He gave Yuuri his freedom, which he hesitated on using at first out of fear that Wolfram would flip. Wolfram let him see how serious he was by not showing much of a reaction at all as Yuuri tested the waters of his newfound single status, even when it cut him deeply. From simply smiling at women, to dancing with them and flirting, Wolfram watched as Yuuri experienced it all, and didn't show him any reaction other than a small smile of encouragement when he looked at him, unsurely.

It was painful to watch, but it paid off. The pain of not having his love returned was still partially there, but Wolfram had matured enough to where it wouldn't get in the way of his friendship with Yuuri. Where he had been unsure before, he knew now for certain that even if he were in Bielefeld territories he would always be Yuuri's friend. Now that he had resolved that issue with Yuuri, Wolfram didn't see a reason to continue to stick around – especially since his other reason for staying – Greta – had left to live with Hube and Nicola to help out with their growing family.

As he internally battled with himself on whether to stay or go, sleep started to overtake him. His eyes grew heavy and started to close, and he rolled over onto his right side. He was close to slipping off to dreamland, and was so very willing to give in to the night that he didn't bother to extinguish the candles that were lit on the stands beside his bed. He was almost gone until he felt a _presence_ in his room.

Before he could turn over to see just what it was, he heard a heavily accented voice speak to him.

"Someone as beautiful as you should not be sleeping alone. I would love to join you, if you would have me," a male voice said, sexily.

Wolfram, who had been so close to sleep just seconds before, was instantly alert. He rolled over quickly to see who the perpetrator of such a suggestive remark directed towards his way was.

He was shocked to see a man with long brown hair, wearing a half-mask and foreign clothing, standing in his room. He was too stunned to say anything, and watched with a wide-eyed expression as the man inched over to the bed towards him.

"Beautiful Wolfram, you shouldn't be alone. Your body deserves more than to be cold and lonely," he said in his funny, at least to Wolfram, accent. He licked his lips. "Let me be the one to warm you up," he said in a velvety voice.

Wolfram recovered from his initial shock, and let out a scream of rage slightly mixed with terror. As he jumped up to attack, the man _laughed_ at him and quickly fled his room, closing the door after himself. Wolfram was furious, and without even bothering to put on shoes or change into something more appropriate, charged after the man while wearing just his pajama bottoms.

He threw open his door to pursue the intruder, but there was no one in the hallway. He contemplated on which way to go, and since he heard the footstep of guards coming towards him from around the right corner., went around the left. That hallway was also empty, and he was about to continue his search had not his brother Gwendal rounded the corner at the end of that corridor

"Wolfram, what's wrong? I heard you scream," his brother said.

"There's an intruder in the castle! A masked man! He was in my room!" Wolfram exclaimed, still angry and miffed at someone having the audacity to pull such an act on him. He was about to go around his brother and continue his pursuit until the guards from the other hallway rounded the corner behind him.

"What's wrong?" one of the guards asked.

"There's an intruder in the castle, a masked man!" Wolfram said to the guards. "Find him _now_!"

* * *

For several hours, the guards of the castle, and several others, searched and searched for the intruder, but he was nowhere to be found. Wolfram, who was still angry and visibly shaken, stayed in Gwendal's office with Yuuri and under Günter's protection as the search took place. He was still barefoot and in his pajama bottoms only, but upon seeing how enraged he was, no one dared to point this out to him.

Finally, after a sleepless night, and with the sun threatening to spill over the horizon, the guards reported that they had completely searched the grounds and the castle and had come up with nothing. This made Wolfram even more livid, and he ranted and laid into the people around him in a way he hadn't done in a long time. He couldn't believe that someone was able to breach security enough to invade the castle and come into his room to _sexually harass_ him!

He gave the guards a few more moments of a tongue lashing about lax security before childishly stomping off towards his bedroom. He was too proud to admit to himself that he had extended their verbal abuse until the sun came up just because he was too apprehensive about going to his room to sleep while it was still dark outside.

He reached his room, entered it, and slammed the door. He quickly looked around the perimeter of the room to see if anything was out of place, but saw nothing. He went over to his bed, ready to flop down, but was met with a sight that made his heart race.

Between his two pillows lay a bouquet of Beautiful Wolfram, with a note on top. Wolfram's eyes widened as he reached for the note, and quickly unfolded it to read.

_Beautiful Wolfram, for beautiful Wolfram. The flower is indeed beautiful, but no flower in existence can compare to the beauty of the one who out-blooms them all. I hope that the next time we meet, I can sprinkle you with kisses, as flowers are sprinkled with rain._

For the second time within a few hours, another cry of rage resonated throughout the castle.


	3. The Pest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gwendal calls to order a meeting on how to deal with the mysterious pest. Unfortunately, said meeting doesn't go all that well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3: The Pest

For the next three weeks, incidents with the mysterious masked man continued to happen. He would sneak into various rooms in the castle, play some sort of prank, and disappear into thin air.

He scared the various maids in the most creative of ways, appearing out of nowhere and laughing as they screamed and ran off. He came across Anissina, who was simply amused as he kissed her hand and ran off, laughing. He loved to leave Günter in a bloody-nosed stupor by placing in his room surprisingly well-drawn pictures of him having affairs with Gwendal, Conrart, and Yozak – sometimes at the same time.

He wisely avoided going around Conrart, Yozak, and, especially, Gwendal. One of the masked man's favorite things to do was to break into Gwendal's office and rearrange his beloved knitted animals in various situations - including mock executions and sexual poses. It frustrated the man so much that his knitting actually _improved_.

Even Yuuri wasn't exempt, and the masked man had played several jokes on him. One time, he managed to move Yuuri from the room he went to sleep in, and placed him in bed with Günter, who woke up and was _more_ than delighted to have him there. The scream of terror that had emitted from the Maou that morning had brought the castle to an uproar. Yuuri had quickly ran off to the shrine, located Murata, and returned to Earth that time.

Wolfram seemed to be the masked man's favorite target, however. While the others had been harassed every now and then, he had been accosted every few days. When the man had shown up a second time in his room, Wolfram had once again failed to capture him. He had even secretly moved to another room, but the masked man found his way into that room as well, which let him know that whoever it was might be an insider or was getting information from an insider.

And, while the others had been on the receiving end of lighthearted pranks, every time Wolfram had come across the masked man, he was being sexually harassed. From suggestive comments and notes, to slight touches, the man let it be known that he desired Wolfram.

Wolfram was all too aware that his situation was the joke of the castle, and was angered by the man's affections. However, deep down, he was somewhat intrigued by the masked man, but wild horses couldn't drag that out of his mouth. His top priority, however, was to find out just who the man was, which was why he was sitting in a meeting with the others that a _very_ annoyed Gwendal had called.

"Something has to be done, I can't... take this anymore," Gwendal said, rousing Wolfram out of his mental recollection of the past few weeks.

"I strongly suspect that it's an insider, or someone on the inside has been feeding him information," Günter spoke up.

"There's plenty of people that fit his physical description here," Gwendal said. "It's been hard trying to narrow it down."

"Yes, there are at least forty-three men here who fit his description," Conrart said.

"Yet none of them have his accent, however," Wolfram spoke up. He was the only one who had heard the man's speaking voice.

"It's possible that accent is faked..." Yuuri trailed off, lost in his thoughts.

"Perhaps," Wolfram replied. "That accent has stayed consistent though, and though it seems familiar, I can't remember where I've heard it from before."

"And it's also possible that he's wearing a wig," Yozak chipped in.

"I fear that we may need to take action if this man is a threat," Gwendal injected.

"I don't think the man is a threat, however I also don't think it's a good idea to allow this to continue. It may give others ideas that we are somehow alright with this sort of behavior," Conrart spoke up.

"How is he _not_ a threat? The man feels me up and says things to me that would make even _Mother_ blush!" Wolfram exclaimed in annoyance.

"Yes, but he hasn't done anything bad," Yuuri said, and when Wolfram turned to glare at him and yell in protest, he held up his hand. "What I mean is, yes it's wrong what he's doing to you, to everyone, but I believe that he wouldn't hurt anyone here."

Wolfram was not surprised that Yuuri would say something like that. The Maou was all too willing to believe in people, and that the masked man had done nothing harmful to anybody was a plus on his side.

However, Wolfram couldn't shake that his feelings were once again being ignored. He was about to raise this point, but Yozak spoke up.

"I also don't believe that the masked man is a threat. If he were, surely he'd have made a move by now. I only wonder how he gets in and out of the castle. This is the biggest issue here. Even I haven't figured that out yet."

Wolfram watched as Gwendal turned towards Murata, who had been silent in all of the discussion. "What do you think, Great Sage?" he asked.

Wolfram looked at Murata, who had a pensive look on his face. He noticed that the usually vibrant young man looked tired, and he made a mental note to check him out once the meeting was over.

Murata started to speak. "To be honest, I think this is just some sort of elaborate prank."

Wolfram was livid. "A prank? Of course it is a prank! I want to know just who _dares_ to pull this off, especially on me! I am not amused at being the laughing stock of the castle as well as the town, and when I finally get my hands on that prankster I am going to _roast_ his ass!"

Murata found Wolfram's remark funny, and laughed. Wolfram was about to open his mouth and give the Sage a few choice words that weren't so nice, but as the other man threw his head back, he was caught off guard.

Wolfram realized, for the first time, how handsome Murata was. For years, he hadn't given the man a second glance, and had failed to notice how the Sage had grown taller, and how his formerly skinny frame had become nicely built. He realized just who he was having these thoughts about, blushed quickly, and looked away.

"Why, your excellency, what brings about the blush on your face," Yozak, who had noticed the lingering look, teased.

Wolfram shot him his famous glare of death, which just made Yozak grin even wider than he already was. "Shut up, Yozak," he muttered.

Of course, telling Yozak to shut up usually has the opposite effect, and this time was no different. "I noticed you were looking towards his Highness right before you started to blush, just what sort of thoughts were you having?" he asked in a mocking voice.

The others looked at him in confusion, and Wolfram seethed. To save face, he decided to take Yozak's remarks and turn it into a rant. "Well, Yozak. I just happened to be glancing in the Great Sage's direction while I was remembering how much I've been sexually harassed in the past few weeks," he said, gratingly. "That's what brought the blush on my face... well that and the fact that none of you seem to care just how this situation is making me feel."

Squawks of protest from around the table were heard, but Wolfram did as Yuuri had done to him a few moments before and held up his hand. "I don't want to hear it. You all know that if this were Yuuri being harassed, you all would try harder to find out who it was and punish them accordingly. But, because it's me, it's somehow alright and just a 'harmless prank'."

"But I _am_ being harassed, Wolfram!" Yuuri protested.

"Oh really? So this masked man has been feeling you up too? Leaving notes about kissing you all over your body? Whispering to you about how flexible he is in bed?" Wolfram asked in a condescending voice.

Yuuri had the decency to blush, Wolfram noted. "Well no, I haven't been harassed like _that,_" Yuuri replied.

Wolfram decided to lay his rant on thicker just because he was thoroughly annoyed at how his feelings about the matter had been dismissed. "Perhaps I should give in to this masked man's desires? After all, I'm sick of being the only virgin in the room. Maybe a little _deflowering_ would do me some good."

The reactions around the room were priceless. Günter gasped, and clutched at his chest. Conrart's eyes widened, and he gripped his chair tightly. Yuuri slid far down into his seat, as if the floor would open a portal back to Earth. Both Yozak and Murata were clutching each other, their bodies racked with silent laughter.

But Gwendal's reaction took the cake.

He paled considerably, and knocked his chair over in his haste to get out of it. He ran to the door, flung it open, and yelled out at the closest guard.

"_Triple_ the security around the castle _immediately_!"

* * *

After that fiasco of a meeting, every one involved in it left as quickly as they could with the exception of Wolfram and Murata, who was detained.

The Great Sage still had a look of amusement on his face, but Wolfram was still disturbed at how tired he looked. After the room had emptied, he walked over to Murata and stood in front of him.

"Your Highness, are you alright?" he asked, quietly.

The Sage's smile slightly dimmed. "Of course I am, what makes you think I'm not," he asked in an amused voice.

"It's just that you seem tired, I was wondering if you haven't been having any after effects of that fall."

"No, I've been alright. I've just been busy nights, you know how it is when you're young and single," he said with a wink.

Wolfram gave him a bitter smirk. "Somehow, I don't think I know what you mean," he quipped.

Murata laughed at him again. "That's right, virgin and all. Maybe you should come out with me sometimes. I'm pretty sure there would be plenty of people willing to.. ahem... _deflower_ you," he said, with mischievous glint in his eyes.

For some reason, the remark amused Wolfram, and before he could catch himself he laughed out loud. He clamped his hands over his mouth in horror, and his eyes widened when Murata's hands wrapped around his wrists and gently pulled his own hands away from his mouth.

"You shouldn't prevent yourself from laughing, you know. You should let your true emotions out more, they're cute," the Sage said with a gentle smile.

The words Wolfram wanted to say caught in his throat, and he simply nodded as the Sage released his wrists.

"Walk me out?" Murata asked.

* * *

The two men walked out with each other, chatting about various things along the way. Wolfram felt at ease with the Sage, which surprised him since he thought he never would again due to the incidents while the other man was sick. Once again, he wrote off the come-ons from Murata to him while he was still bedridden as being caused by the injury – for Murata did nothing to make him believe that he really was interested in him like that.

As they exited the castle, Murata came to a halt, which caused Wolfram to bump into him from behind. He was about to ask what was wrong, but he looked over his shoulder and saw what had caused his sudden stop.

It was Yuuri, standing in the courtyard and openly flirting with a new maid.

A sharp tinge flayed through Wolfram's chest at the sight, but as quickly as it came, it went. Murata turned around slowly, and looked at him.

Wolfram simply shrugged, and gave him a small smile – but he was fairly certain that the Sage saw through the falseness of it all when he gave him a slight frown. He looked away from the intense black eyes that seemed to bore into him.

It was then that Yuuri noticed them.

"Hey, you guys! Come here and meet the new maid!" he said, cheerfully.

"Ah..." started Murata, who still eyed Wolfram.

"I have some work to do, Yuuri. I'll... see you later," Wolfram said. He gave a warm smile to Yuuri and the maid, nodded to Murata, and retreated back into the castle.

It took every ounce of his willpower not to break out into a run.


	4. Nighttime Rendezvous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After failing to fall asleep due to brooding, Wolfram decides to take a night stroll.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4: Nighttime Rendezvous

The night of that disastrous meeting, Wolfram found that he couldn't sleep. He knew that it was less about what took place in the meeting, and more about what took place after it.

Even though he had forced himself through many situations after ending his engagement to Yuuri, for some reason the earlier event with Yuuri flirting with the maid had affected him immensely, more than it had in quite some time.

His carefully constructed facade of indifference to Yuuri's relationships had almost cracked that evening, and he didn't quite understand why.

Wolfram had seen Yuuri flirting with someone much more stronger than earlier, and had watched him dance close to women as well. Even finding out that Yuuri had lost his virginity hadn't stung him as much as earlier.

A part of him wondered if it were less about his lingering feelings for Yuuri, and more because he was so very lonely.

The thought startled him, but the truth within it rang throughout his mind. Why _else_ would Yuuri's simple flirting bother him when he hadn't been as affected when he did worse? Why _else_ was he brooding about his situation instead of getting some well-needed sleep?

Why _else_ was he starting to look forward to the masked man's visits?

* * *

After another sleepless hour of brooding, musing and whatnot, Wolfram gave up on the notion of sleeping and decided to take a night stroll. Convincing Gwendal's guards that he was in no danger of being harmed delayed him a few moments, and for awhile he stood there arguing with them to let him go out. It wasn't until he threw one of his old-fashioned temper tantrums and threatened to castrate each one of them with a fireball that he was left alone.

A simple stroll turned into a complex walk, and before long he found himself quite far from the castle.

He was completely lost in his thoughts, and had he been paying more attention, he would have noticed that he had been followed for quite some time. As he paused at the end of a path and contemplated on whether to go left or right, a hand covered his mouth and he was pulled back into someone's body.

"Promise not to scream, and I'll remove my hand," a familiar, accented voice said to him. "You know I wouldn't hurt someone so beautiful."

Wolfram was both furious and excited at the same time, which was how he reacted to this man every time he came across him. He nodded his head to let the man know he wouldn't scream, and the hand fell from his mouth and the man's arm wrapped around his waist.

"What do you want _this_ time?" Wolfram asked in an annoyed voice. He would be damned if he let the masked man know that he had looked forward to seeing him.

The man laughed lightly. "I only want to spend some time with the most beautiful person in all of Shin Makoku."

That remark, coupled with the angst that had been building in Wolfram, made him emit a bitter laugh. "Is that _all_ you can think about? How beautiful I am? Do you realize how much I _hate_ that?"

"What do you mean?" the masked man asked in a curious-sounding voice. He pulled Wolfram even closer to him.

"What I mean is, people are always harping on how beautiful I am. That's all they say about me, as if that's the only thing there is to me," he said. "Do you know how many times I've wished I was average-looking, or plain, or even ugly? My looks have only brought me heartache!"

"Wolfram..." the masked man started, his voice different from before.

"I hear people all the time say how much they wish they could be beautiful like me, or how if they were beautiful like me they could have anyone they wanted. Well, that's a lie. My beauty wasn't enough to get me what _I _wanted more than anything," he ranted.

"What was that, the Maou?" the masked man scoffed. "Why don't you forget about him? He isn't worth you or your time..."

"Don't. Don't ever. Just don't say anything about that, you have no right!"

"Oh, I have no right to tell you that you deserve someone who appreciates you? Someone who would _acknowledge_ your love, and perhaps even _return_ it?"

"Someone like who? _You_? Don't make me laugh!" Wolfram remarked.

"Why would you say something like that," the masked man asked.

"You only care about my beauty!"

"How do you know that?"

"That's all you ever bring up!"

"I'm just acknowledging its existence; I like beautiful things. However, beauty isn't enough to keep me interested. There has to be something else there as well. If I didn't like _all_ of you, and not just your beauty, I wouldn't be going out of my way to do this just for you," the masked man said, his voice uncharacteristically serious.

Wolfram found the man's revelation that he was doing all of this for him shocking.

"_Just_ for me? You're doing this _just_ for me? Why are you doing this anyhow?" Wolfram asked, curiously.

"Because I want you," the masked man said, and pressed his lips against the side of Wolfram's neck.

Wolfram let out a gasp of surprise mixed with pleasure. The man laughed lightly and trailed his tongue up Wolfram's neck to the back of his ear, and gave it a light nip which caused him to moan and the masked man to chuckle yet again.

He knew that he should have pulled away. He also knew that while the man was distracted he could finally catch him and fry him to a crisp, but knowing something and acting on it were two different things.

Wolfram was too distracted by the pleasurable feelings that he couldn't do much of anything. He was so starved for physical contact that once he finally had it, he couldn't let it go. He was right where the man wanted him to be, and the man was fully taking advantage of it.

Unable to stop. Unwilling to stop.

The man continued to lick and kiss at Wolfram's neck and ear, and pulled Wolfram even further backwards into him. Wolfram felt how aroused the other man was, and his own arousal started to become obvious. His body melted as the masked man ground into his backside, and Wolfram didn't even bother to protest as the man pulled his shirt out of his pants and started to run his hands up and down Wolfram's torso and chest.

The man suddenly removed his hands from under Wolfram's shirt, and he found himself aching to have them back on him. He was so close to demanding that he put them back when the man swiftly turned him around to look at him.

His eyes widened as the masked man took his face in his hands, and leaned in to kiss him. Wolfram was so aroused that he leaned in as well to meet the man's lips. Before contact could be made, however, a voice in the distance sounded out.

"Wolfram! Wolfram where are you?" Gwendal's enraged voice rang out in the night.

Both men pulled away from each other, the spell broken. The masked man smiled at Wolfram, who was still not quite _there_ at the moment. He pecked him on the cheek, and before Wolfram could at least pretend to attempt to catch him, ran between the trees.

Wolfram heard Gwendal's voice close in on him, and shook himself out of his entrancement. He quickly tucked his shirt back into place, and walked back towards the castle.

* * *

As a stunned Wolfram von Bielefeld walked away, a ghostly figure that had been watching and listening to the entire exchange between Wolfram and the masked man emerged from behind a tree.

He was beyond amused at the scene that had played out in front of him, and he chuckled .

"Things are becoming quite interesting," Shinou quietly said to himself.


	5. Dream, Fantasy, Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wolfram has an erotic dream and a stunning revelation. Murata broods and confronts. Most importantly, however, he delivers a verbal smack down at the dinner table – in Wolfram's defense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5: Dream, Fantasy, Reality

"_I want you, I want you so badly that I can't take this anymore," Wolfram said as someone's hands massaged his naked body._

_Wolfram couldn't see the man's face clearly, but there was something familiar about him. The man leaned closer and captured his lips with his own, and it sent a feeling like nothing else up and down his spine._

_Wolfram moaned into the kiss, and didn't care who the man was. He was so aroused that he couldn't think straight. He reached up and ran his fingers through the man's hair._

_'The masked man, it has to be the masked man,' he thought. but was quickly proven wrong when he got a good look at the color of hair in which his fingers were entwined._

_'Black hair? Please, don't let this be Yuuri,' he thought, and when he realized the implications behind that thought he was shocked._

_He didn't want it to be Yuuri._

_He didn't want whoever this man was that was kissing and fondling his naked form to be Yuuri._

_He didn't want Yuuri._

_The man touched a part of him that made him cry out, and he felt wetness seep across his crotch. He heard a very familiar chuckle, and he looked up into the man's blurred face to try to figure out who he was._

_The bleary form started to clarify, and Wolfram was surprised to realize just who he had allowed to take indecent pleasures with him._

_He stared into the black eyes of Murata Ken._

* * *

Wolfram awakened in a haste, his heart still pounding and his body still flush. He was relieved to find that it was only a dream, but was confused as to why he would dream something like that about the_ Sage_ of all people.

He refused to allow himself to explore that line of thinking out of fear of what he would come up with, and sighed as he got up to wash away the remaining evidence of his forbidden dream.

At the same time that Wolfram was washing away his body's betrayal, the person partially responsible for his state was sitting in the shrine doing some brooding of his own.

Ever since his accident, Murata had been having various problems of his own. He would go to sleep in one place, and wake up in a completely different place. He would be doing one thing, and find himself suddenly doing another when he didn't remember changing over to do something. He would be sitting in one spot for what seemed like a few minutes, but would check the time and realize that he'd been sitting there for hours.

He was having blackouts.

He didn't want anyone in Shin Makoku to be unnerved, so he didn't let on to Yuuri or anyone else about his situation. The only others that knew what was happening to him was José, who was trying to help him back on Earth, and Shinou, who seemed amused by it all for some reason.

The Great Sage suspected that Shinou knew more about it than him, and didn't appreciate being the butt of some secret joke. He decided to confront his old friend again.

"Shinou, what do you know about what's happening to me?" he asked in a low voice.

"What makes you think I know anything?" Shinou said, lightly.

"I'm almost certain that you know something, you wouldn't be so amused if you didn't," he said.

Shinou laughed. "Just because I'm amused doesn't mean that I know something," he teased.

Murata sighed. He was tired of blacking out and not having excuses for it, and didn't feel like being pranked. "Shinou, I _swear_, if I find you have _anything_ to do with this..." he started.

Shinou laughed. "I have _nothing_ to do with any of this, at least not this time. This is all _your_ work."

Murata was confused by Shinou's words. "What do you mean all my work? What do you know about these blackouts?"

Shinou laughed again as he started to disappear.

"Wait! What do you mean this is all my work?" Murata cried out, in vain.

* * *

Murata walked towards the castle, which was more vibrant than usual. The former Maou, Cheri, had returned from her latest trip, and everyone was excited.

He had been invited to dinner to celebrate her return, and since he wasn't one to pass up good food for any reason, he had gladly accepted.

He entered the castle and made his way towards the dining room. He noted the wonderful smells that drifted through the air in the castle, and his stomach growled in anticipation of the good food that was awaiting him. He entered the dining room, and took a look around.

Gwendal, Conrart, Günter, Yuuri, Wolfram, Cheri, and even Yozak were all seated. He greeted everyone, and sat in the chair opposite of Wolfram, who was looking down at his hands for some reason. He raised his eyebrow, but didn't bother to say anything.

As the food was served, there was various conversation around the table – which Murata was too busy eating to partake in. Gwendal and Yozak filled Cheri in on the masked man, which intrigued her to no end. She actually squealed with _delight_ when Wolfram's sexual harassment was mentioned, and Murata choked on his food in a sad attempt to prevent himself from laughing as Wolfram squawked in annoyance of his mother's reaction to his situation.

Murata glanced at Wolfram, who once again went into a rant on how no one seemed to care about his situation. He felt a little pity for him, but the situation was so amusing to him that he couldn't help but laugh every time it was brought up.

The idea that some guy in a mask was running around and causing so much trouble to Wolfram and the others was simply hilarious. Murata thought that whoever it is was playing with fire – literally. It was only a matter of time before he got burned. Badly.

As Murata looked over at Wolfram, who was still ranting, something tinged at the back of his mind. He found himself staring at his neck, and noticed what suspiciously looked like a hickey.

Murata was shocked, and wondered if the masked man did that to Wolfram. He was even more shocked to find that he felt _jealous_ for some reason.

Yozak said something teasing about the masked man to Wolfram, which caused him to turn his body in his chair so that he could glare at him and say insulting things to him in response. When he turned, Murata got a better look at his neck. A memory? No, a fantasy. A fantasy went through his mind, one in which he was putting light kisses on Wolfram's neck from behind as he leaned into him and moaned. He fantasized about grinding into Wolfram...

It was at that point that Wolfram turned back into his seat normally, and his eyes met Murata's.

Murata, who was still fantasizing about kissing Wolfram's neck and feeling him up, turned beet-red. He wondered if Wolfram suspected something was off about him because he blushed brightly as well. They looked down and away from each other, quickly.

However, they weren't quick enough for Yozak, who was _all too willing_ to point out what he had just witnessed.

"Your Highnesses, I can't help but notice that you two were looking at each other quite suggestively and blushing. Why, could there be something going on between you two?" he said, sweetly.

Both of there heads shot up at the same time. "There's nothing going on between us!" they protested, simultaneously.

"Ooh, and in the same voice too!" Yozak cooed, gleefully.

Murata internally groaned, and didn't miss the way the others were looking at him. Gwendal was eyeballing him with a suspicious (and menacing) look on his face, Conrart was smiling with a knowing look on his face, Cheri was beaming, and Yuuri just looked confused.

Cheri clapped her hands together loudly. "I can't believe it! Wolfram has a secret admirer _and_ the Great Sage after him? I just knew my baby boy would find someone to love him!" she squealed.

"Oh yes, the secret admirer _and_ the Sage," Yozak said in a cryptic voice.

Gwendal grunted, and Conrart smiled wider. Wolfram slid down into his seat and sighed.

"Your Highness, is this true?" Günter asked in a happy voice. He clapped his hands together as well. "Oh, this means that I can _finally_ have His Majesty all to myself!"

"Ah, I don't think so Günter," Yuuri said, hastily. "Besides, Murata only likes girls. There's no way he's interested in Wolfram like _that_," he added, innocently.

If Murata had been looking anywhere except at Wolfram when Yuuri made his remark, he would have remained silent and not said a thing. If he hadn't seen Wolfram's lips turn down, and had he missed the minute look of hurt that quickly shifted into a look of sheer _misery_, he wouldn't have been bothered enough by Yuuri's careless remarks to say what he said next.

"Well, _Shibuya_, I don't think it's fair for you to continue to speak for what I may or may not feel for Wolfram. I mean, it's not like I haven't been with men as well. Even in _this_ lifetime as a man, I've indulged in some same-sex relations, if you know what I mean," he said, and winked in Yuuri's direction.

He internally laughed to himself as Yuuri's eyes widened in shock. He could have stopped there, but he didn't.

"Besides, I question the _judgment_ of who wouldn't like someone as amazing as Wolfram like _that,_" he said, sweetly.

Once again, he was amused at the reactions of the people around the table. Yuuri simply gawked at Murata wordlessly, his innocent and naive mind trying to wrap itself around the notion that Murata was bisexual. Gwendal narrowed his eyes, and looked at Murata like he was expecting him to jump his baby brother right there at the table. Yozak, Günter, and Conrart laughed, but quickly recovered when Gwendal shot them his patented death glare. Cheri simply squealed, completely happy about the implications.

And Wolfram gave him a look of appreciation, which was the reaction that mattered the most of all to him.

* * *

After dinner ended, Murata started to make his way back to the shrine, but Wolfram caught up to him before he could get too far.

"Sage!" Wolfram called out.

Murata turned, and stood still as Wolfram caught up to him, gasping for breath.

"Yes, Wolfram?" he asked, gently.

"I just wanted to... thank you for this afternoon," Wolfram said as he blushed.

"Why? There's no need to thank me, I only said what needed to be said," he replied, and blushed as well. He hadn't forgotten that about an hour ago he had been fantasizing about Wolfram.

"I just... appreciated it, that's all. I was sort of feeling down about Yuuri's remark for some reason," Wolfram said.

Murata couldn't help himself. "Are you still.. attached to Yuuri?" he asked. "I mean, do you still love him?"

The blond looked sharply at him, but before Murata could tell him "never mind" he spoke up. "Yes, I'm still attached to him. I guess I still love him. But, I don't think I'm still _in_ love with him," he said, truthfully.

The Sage was shocked by Wolfram's last remark. He was going to ask Wolfram to clarify, but he continued.

"However, it doesn't hurt as much now, knowing that he will never return my feelings," he said. "You could say I had an... um... _epiphany_ not too long ago and resolved not to _let_ it hurt me as much," he said, his blush deepening.

Murata was curious as to what epiphany he had and why he blushed, but decided not to embarrass him, who had opened himself to him much more than normally. He placed his hands gently on Wolfram's shoulders.

"Eventually, it won't hurt at all. One day, you'll find someone who appreciates you, and who will acknowledge, and perhaps even return, your love," he said, with a smile.

Wolfram looked at him with an expression that was beyond shocked.

"Wolfram, what's wrong?" he asked. He didn't like the idea of Wolfram being too shocked to believe that someone could love him the way he needed to be loved.

"No... nothing. I'm just... appreciative of the words," he said.

Murata simply patted his shoulders before turning to leave for the shrine. For some reason, he was elated that Wolfram was starting to move on. He truly wished for him to find happiness.

He trudged back towards the shrine, his thoughts filled with Wolfram the entire way.

* * *

Wolfram watched through narrowed eyes as the Great Sage made his back towards the shrine. He was disturbed by Murata's words about someone returning his love, which he had said in almost the exact same phrase that the masked man had used the night before.

Wolfram wondered to himself whether or not it was possible that the Sage was also the masked man.


	6. Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Secrets of the castle are revealed, and Shaggy and Scooby... er... Wolfram and Murata... go exploring. Also, Wolfram finds proof of who the masked man is, and confronts the person he thinks is responsible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 6

Another few weeks passed, and another meeting about the masked man was taking place.

His mode of operation was the same, showing up out of the blue, committing some form of trickery, and then disappearing as quickly as he came. The only difference, though no one except Wolfram knew it, was that Wolfram was no longer experiencing sexual harassment; he was just experiencing _sexual_.

Ever since that night on the path, Wolfram didn't even bother with the premise of trying to catch the masked man, at least in private. He still ranted about it in pubic, but secretly he was enjoying his run-ins with the man. They excited him, and more than anything he needed some sort of excitement in his life.

They never went too far, although Wolfram briefly entertained the thought. As excited as the masked man got him, he knew that he couldn't go all the way with him. For starters, the man was still a stranger. Wolfram couldn't see himself making love to someone he didn't know – though there were times when he was so aroused that he wanted to give in.

Besides, he wanted his complete first time experience to be with someone who loved him – someone who he loved back.

He shook himself out of his thoughts about the masked man, and looked around the table. His eyes rested on Murata, who was answering one of Gwendal's questions. He thought back to when he had briefly entertained the thought that Murata could be the masked man, and mentally smiled at the ridiculousness of it.

After all, the Great Sage was the type of person that was direct. He wouldn't go through something as elaborate as dressing up, sneaking around, and playing pranks. If he wanted Wolfram, he'd directly come on to him. Wolfram thought back to that week when he had taken care of the Sage after his fall. That was how Murata would act towards him _if_ he was interested, as far as he was concerned.

He was surprised at how bitter he felt about Murata not being interested in him. Ever since that dream he had, Wolfram had taken more notice of the Sage, and wasn't happy when he realized what he was doing.

He did _not_ like the idea that he was getting over one unrequited love just to go for another. It was bad enough the first time around, and Wolfram wanted to take every last precaution possible to prevent it from happening a second time.

He was interrupted from the angst that he so willfully allowed himself to fall into by the voice of an excited Günter.

"So when I found this blueprint, I understood just how the masked man was getting into the castle!" his exclaimed.

Wolfram was instantly alert, and the entire room came abuzz.

Günter continued. "Apparently one of the former Maou's had these secret passageways added on, but kept the blueprint that showed the castle without those modifications."

He watched as Yozak stared at the blueprint and whistled.

"So _that's_ how he's been getting in!" Yozak said.

"I wonder how he learned about these passageways when even _we_ were not aware of them?" Gwendal asked, curiously.

"I'm not sure, but I think it would be a good idea to check them. I don't like the idea of someone freely breeching our security like this, no matter how harmless he may be," Conrart said.

"He is _not_ harmless," Wolfram protested, half-heartedly.

"I say we split up into groups and explore each passageway!" Yuuri said, excitedly.

"Your Majesty, we should leave that up to the guards," Gwendal said.

"I don't know, I kind of like Shibuya's idea," Murata said. "It seems as if I faintly remember those passageways; I don't know why I didn't consider them before."

Wolfram turned his attention back towards the Great Sage. He was looking over the blueprint with great interest, and Wolfram wasn't surprised that he'd go along with Yuuri's idea. He was about to turn to co-sign Yuuri's decision as well, but something about Murata distracted him.

"Sage... you have new glasses! Why?" he asked.

The others, who hadn't noticed the new glasses, looked at Murata.

He smiled shyly, and pushed them up further on his face. "I lost the others sometime last week, so I got a new pair with a slightly different frame."

"Wow, I didn't even notice they were different!" Yuuri spoke up, and the others nodded.

"It's only natural that someone's other half notice things about their loved one before everyone else," Yozak teased, which brought a blush to Wolfram and Murata's cheeks.

"_Shut up_, Yozak!" Wolfram gritted out.

"Anyhow, back on topic," Yuuri said, quickly. "We'll split into three groups and explore together. Gwendal, you go with Günter. Wolfram, you go with Yozak..."

"_Absolutely_ not! I'll go with the Sage," he huffed. He rolled his eyes at Yozak's wide grin and Yuuri's shocked face. "_You_ can go with Yozak and Conrart."

"That arrangement's _more_ than fine with me," Murata backed him up suggestively as he grabbed his arm and pulled him close, which caused Yuuri's mouth to drop open and Yozak to catcall.

"Try not to knock each other up while you're in there," Yozak said in an obnoxious manner, which prompted an elbow to his stomach from _Conrart_ of all people.

Yuuri laughed nervously. "It's not like men can get pregnant, right?"

Six sets of eyes looked at the naive, uninformed man in pity.

"Right?" he asked again in desperation, as the others turned from him and walked off without shattering yet another of his illusions.

* * *

"Damn, it's stuffy in here," Murata muttered as he and Wolfram made their way down the current passageway. They had already checked two of them, and had come up with nothing other than footprints.

This also found footprints in the current passageway they explored, and they were following them. This particular passageway had an opening behind one of the kitchen stoves, which could serve as an explanation on how the masked man had been so easily able to suddenly scare the maids.

Before they had went their respective ways to explore each pathway, the group had all located the entrances to each pathway together. Gwendal had not been amused to find one behind a bookcase in his office, and had vowed to collapse the entire pathway with his maryoku, which caused Murata and Yozak to cackle with amusement. The one found in Yuuri's room was met with stunned silence as everyone mused on how vulnerable the Maou had been all this time. A few suspicious looks towards Wolfram made him reveal that _no_, that pathway _wasn't_ how he snuck in Yuuri's room all that time.

The men huddled together as they ventured further down the hidden entrance. _Something_ skittered across the pathway in front of them, and both men jumped and held onto each another.

"What the Hell was that?" Murata asked.

"I don't know, and I don't want to know!" Wolfram exclaimed.

They realized how tightly they were holding on to each other and let go. Murata picked up the lantern that he had dropped, and they continued further into the pathway, nervously.

"Other than these footprints, I don't see anything spectacular here," Murata said, after awhile. Wolfram nodded, and they continued towards the connecting path.

"The end is ahead, and I can hear Gwendal talking," Murata remarked. He walked faster towards the connecting path.

Wolfram was about to catch up, but a faint glint to the right of him caught his eye and he walked closer to it.

What he saw when he looked down shocked and horrified him – and pieces of a puzzling puzzle started to fall into place. He didn't know all of the how's, or the whys, but he was now completely certain he knew the who behind the identity of the masked man.

He picked up the tale-tell object, and secretly pocketed it.

* * *

That night, Wolfram paced the floor in his room while deeply in thought. He couldn't believe his discovery, and was still partially in denial over who the masked man was.

However, the evidence that he had obtained from the pathway floor was damning. There was no way that could have gotten there from anybody else, which led Wolfram to the conclusion that he so desperately tried to debunk.

He questioned why that person was pulling off such an elaborate scheme. He remembered the masked man saying he was doing it _just for him_, but why? What did he gain out of all of this? And how was that person able to act like he had done nothing like this in front of him?

As badly as he wanted to get angry about that last part, that was one of the things with the easiest of explanations. He was almost a hundred percent certain that the person in question wasn't even _aware_ of his actions. So the biggest question was just what, or who, was influencing him to do those things?

A theory came to his mind, one that he didn't like one bit. Wolfram left his room, and furiously made his way towards the shrine.

* * *

Wolfram forced himself into the shrine, and demanded to speak to Shinou. The maidens were about to object, but Ulrike told Wolfram that he could be found in a room on the right.

He stomped off down towards the room, and when he got there he swung the door open. He narrowed his eyes at the familiar form in front of him, and closed the door behind him.

Shinou smirked at him. "Why, Young Bielefeld, whatever is it that causes you to grace my presence today?" he asked, innocently.

Wolfram was immediately alarmed, and was completely certain that Shinou knew exactly why he was there.

"Just what are you up to _this_ time," he asked.

"Why, whatever are you talking about?" Shinou said as he shrugged.

"Oh you know _exactly_ what I'm talking about," Wolfram spat.

"Ah, so you've finally figured out who your secret pursuer is? That's wonderful!" he replied in a voice that managed to be both cheerful and mocking at the same time.

"Just why are you playing this game? What do you gain from it?"

"_I_ am not the one playing the game, _he_ is."

"But you have something to do with it..."

"No, not this time. This is all him."

"Then why? Why does he act as if he's unaware of what he's doing?"

"Because he _isn't_ aware of what he's doing," Shinou said, confirming what Wolfram had suspected.

"But then, why _me_? Why do this to _me_, of all people? Why make _me_ feel this way?" Wolfram asked.

"That's because he wants you to be happy... with him," Shinou said.

"I'm not happy to have such a joke played on me..."

"He isn't joking. At least, not with you. This is how he really feels about you."

"I don't believe it. I don't believe that he's interested in me. I _can't_ believe it!"

"Why not?" Shinou asked.

Wolfram couldn't answer his question. He simply didn't know why he couldn't wrap his mind around the idea that _he_ cared for him. As far as he was concerned, it was this part, or personality that wanted him, not the real person.

He took the small object that he had found in the secret pathway and put it down on the mantle in front of Shinou.

"Tell him that one of the shrine maidens found it somewhere around here," Wolfram said, and turned to leave.

"What are you going to do now that you know who he is?" Shinou asked.

"I'm going to turn him down. After all, it isn't _him_ who's interested in me, only a personality of his," Wolfram said sadly, and left the room.

"But it _is_ you he's interested in Young Bielefeld – but it is," Shinou said, as he stared down at Murata's missing glasses – which was the object that Wolfram had placed on the mantle.

* * *

Wolfram walked away from the shrine, and thought about the conversation with Shinou that he'd just had. He didn't know what to do from there, or how he would confront Murata – no – Murata's personality.

Unfortunately, he didn't even have time to prepare for the confrontation. The masked man in question then jumped down from the tree he was hiding in, right in front of Wolfram.


	7. For the Good Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wolfram confronts the masked man!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Admirer and the Sage

Wolfram wasn't all that surprised that Murata – or, rather, Murata's current personality (which he decided to mentally dub "_Not-Murata_"), had paid him a visit. He had hoped, however, that he'd have time to digest the news that it was the Great Sage behind the mask. He had wanted to reconcile himself with the fact that it was _Not-Murata_ who had been suddenly appearing in his room; _Not-Murata_ who had been whispering sweet nothings in his ear; _Not-Murata_ who's hands had traveled all over his body, making him feel things that he had never felt before.

He had plenty of emotions about the entire thing, but hadn't had the time to sort them out. He simply stood, stoically, and stared at _Not-Murata_.

"Well, it's not every day one jumps out of a tree and into the path of someone as lovely as you," _Not-Murata_ said in his heavy accent. He moved close to lean in for a kiss.

Wolfram reacted by moving out of his way, and gently pushed him backwards. "Stop," he said.

_Not-Murata_ stiffened. "What's wrong?" he asked in a confused voice.

Wolfram sighed, and decided to simply play his hand and get it over with. "I know who you are," he said, softly.

The man laughed, lightly "Oh really? You know who I am?" he said in a teasing voice. "Well, I guess I can remove this mask if you guess correctly, you get three tries..."

"Murata... I know it's you."

"Close enough! Twenty kisses is your prize!"

"Don't joke about this! I'm trying to be serious! I know it's you now, so stop!"

"Why? What difference does it make who I am? How does this change things?" _Not-Murata_ asked, and removed his mask and wig. He leaned in again for kiss.

Wolfram moved to the side. "It changes things because I know the normal you wouldn't be doing this!"

"So what? Why does that matter? Let him be him and me be me," he said, and grasped Wolfram's wrists with his hands. He pushed him against a tree.

"It matters because_ he_ wouldn't be doing this; _he_ doesn't have these feelings for me – and I don't like the idea of you using my friend's body to seduce me!" Wolfram said, forcefully.

_Not-Murata's_ eyes widened at Wolfram's remark, and he looked unsure of what to say. For a moment, Wolfram thought that he had broken through the persona that Murata was currently using. But whatever it was about his words that almost snapped him out of his schism of mind quickly faded – and the other man pressed him back into the tree once again, and claimed his lips.

Wolfram's muffled his protest against the Sage's lips. He tried to push him away, but he still held his wrists tightly.

_Not-Murata_ broke off the forced kiss, and looked into Wolfram's eyes. "Does it really matter who I am?" he asked.

"Yes. Yes it does."

"Even if I want you so bad I can hardly stand it?"

"It still matters."

"Let me make it not matter anymore," he said, and resumed his assault on Wolfram's lips.

Wolfram forgot his intentions for the moment, and returned the kiss. It was intense, even more so than was normal between them. He closed his eyes, and savored it. _Not-Murata_ let his wrists go, and drew Wolfram's body towards him. Wolfram brought his hands up to his hair, and ran his fingers through it as they continued to kiss.

They ground hard into each other, both of them obvious in their arousal. Both men panted, and moaned, and rocked together against the tree, and both were moments within going over the edge. Wolfram opened his eyes, and was jolted back to reality.

It was Murata's hair he was running his hands through; Murata's face that was looking at him with so much lust and passion; Murata's body that was sending shots of electricity through his own.

But none of this was done on Murata's own will.

Wolfram pulled away from him quickly, and watched as the look of lust on _Not-Murata's_ face turned to a look of frustration.

"Please, stop," Wolfram said.

"Why did you pull away..."

"I don't want this anymore."

"Your body tells me otherwise."

"Quit using me."

"I want you..."

"Quit using _him_."

_Not-Murata_ looked at Wolfram. "I'm not using him..."

"Please, hear me out," Wolfram said. "Now that I know who you are – and aren't, I can't keep doing this. I can't allow you, or myself, to keep using Murata this way. To do so would be to willingly take advantage of him, and _I _can't do that nor will I allow _you_ to do that."

_Not-Murata's_ eyes widened in shock, and he was about to protest but was cut off when Wolfram pecked him lightly on the lips.

"Thank you, whoever you really are," he said

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Thank you for giving me something that I've been missing in my life for quite some time," he said, and smiled.

"I don't understand..."

"You excited me. You made me feel needed. You made me feel _desired,_" Wolfram clarified. "No one has ever made me feel the way you have."

"Please..."

"You helped me realize that my life – my _world_ – didn't end when I had my heart broken. And that I want to fall in love again, someday."

"Wolfram..."

"But this has to end. Tonight. I won't allow you to continue using my friend like this, nor will I allow myself to," he said. He weighed his next words carefully, but decided that they needed to be said.

"Please don't show up like this again, or I will be forced to reveal to others who you are. Even though you haven't caused any real harm, imagine how badly it would go for him. He's the innocent victim in all of this, and doesn't deserve any hardship."

"I'm sorry," _Not-Murata_ said, softly. "I never meant to hurt anyone, especially not you."

"You didn't hurt me. The only person you _may_ have hurt is him," Wolfram said. He gave the other man one last kiss on the cheek.

"Goodbye," he said.

Wolfram walked off, leaving behind a man that he hoped would heed his advice.

* * *

It had been over a month since the masked man had been spotted. Wolfram was relieved that he seemed to have done what he asked him to, but didn't let down his guard.

He kept his eyes on Murata, who seemed to be less tired than he had been since the accident. However, the Sage also seemed a little quieter than normal, which slightly worried Wolfram.

Wolfram, upon reflecting on everything that had taken place, came to the conclusion that when Murata fell, something had caused him to develop that other persona. Right after the accident; Yuuri had told him that the Sage had been stressed and fatigued – and that, combined with the dreams that Wolfram had overheard the man have, may have contributed to it as well.

He was curious as to why Murata chose to wear a mask and costume, and what accent he spoke in. He chalked it up to having something to do with one of the Sage's lifetimes.

Though many questions were unanswered, and probably would never be answered, Wolfram was simply happy that Murata was somewhat back to normal.

* * *

"And you are certain that he hasn't had any blackout since that night?" Wolfram asked.

"Absolutely. What you said to him seems to have worked," Shinou said.

"Thank you for letting me know this. Maybe now, I can rest in peace."

Wolfram nodded at Shinou, turned, and left the room where Shinou had agreed to meet him. He was about to leave the shrine completely, but collided with Murata, who was thinking hard about something.

"Oh, Wolfram. Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going," he said, sheepishly.

"That's alright, neither was I," Wolfram said, smiling at the Sage.

"What brings you here?"

"Oh nothing, just checking on something is all."

Wolfram had not let on to the Sage, or anyone, that he had been the masked man. There was no need to bring it up; after all, it wasn't like Murata had done those things willingly. He strongly suspected that both Yozak and Conrart knew who the masked man was by their dismissal of the urgency to find him, which was uncharacteristic of them both. Probably the only person who would have an absolute fit upon finding out who he really was would be Gwendal, and Wolfram did _not_ want Murata to have to deal with his enraged brother.

"You seem lost in your thoughts, Great Sage. What's on your mind?" he asked.

Murata looked hesitant to discuss what was on his mind. Wolfram reached out to him, and placed his hands on his shoulders.

"If there's anything you need to talk to me about, I'm here. No matter what it is, you can tell me anything."

Wolfram watched as Murata's look went from pensive to decisive.

"How about we go sit out in one of the gardens? No one will disturb us there," the Sage said.

Wolfram nodded, and followed Murata past the fountain he had fallen against months prior.


	8. The Man Behind the Mask

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wolfram and Murata have a heart to heart talk.

The two men reached the garden and sat on a bench. For a few moments, they simply looked out at their surroundings. The silence between them was comfortable; Wolfram simply waited for Murata to break it when he was ready to.

After a few more moments of serenity, Murata started to speak.

"Has your, um... _admirer_ bothered you lately?" the Sage asked, quietly.

"Not in over a month, Sage," Wolfram replied, gently. He decided to play it cool so that the Sage would feel free to open up to him.

"Oh," Murata simply said, and fell silent once more.

Wolfram didn't push him; he figured that the Sage would say what he needed to in due time. They slipped back into silence for a few moments more. Wolfram could tell that Murata was debating with himself on whether to discuss something, and wondered if he remembered anything about being the masked man. He braced himself for whatever was to come – and knew that if the Sage did remember everything, things between them might never be the same again.

"Wolfram... I've been having blackouts," Murata said.

"Blackouts?"

"Yes. Ever since I fell, I've been having these weird blackouts. I'll be one place, and before I know it I'm in another without any explanation or memory of what happened. I've also lost hours at a time where I don't remember doing anything at all."

Wolfram decided not to interrupt him, and simply looked at him and nodded for him to go on. He watched as the expression on Murata's face went from pensive to dreading.

"Furthermore, these blackouts have been occurring around the times that masked man has been running around," he said, softly. "Wolfram, I think I'm the masked man."

Wolfram's chest tightened at the vulnerable look on the Sage's face. He knew it took a lot for Murata, of all people, to open up to _anybody._ He also understood how much it meant for the man to be so straightforward with _him_, considering the Sage thought he could have potentially been the one harassing him.

"What makes you so sure it's you?" Wolfram asked in a neutral voice. He wanted to simply tell Murata that everything would be alright, but the Sage was too intelligent; he would see right through him if he immediately 'forgave' him without any questions about the situation.

"It's several things," Murata replied. "The times he was reported running around that correspond with a good amount of the hours I lost. The clothing you described. The knowledge of secret pathways long forgotten. The mask. Also, the description of the accent that you gave."

"Even so, that doesn't mean it was you," Wolfram said, attempting to give the other man an out.

"Yes, but there's something that almost cinches everything," he said, sadly.

"What is that?"

"I haven't had a blackout since the masked man stopped appearing."

Wolfram looked at the Sage, who looked as if he was gathering the courage to say something else. He realized that while Murata didn't remember what he had done _while_ he was the masked man, he was aware that he _was_ the masked man. Wolfram decided, right then and there, that he would never tell Murata all of what happened between them during his blackouts – not as long as the man had no memories of them.

"Wolfram, I'm sorry. For everything. I would have never done anything to harm you on purpose..."

"Sage, it's alright. It's fine. If it was you, you weren't doing it on your own will."

"But I've done so many things to you, to the others. When they find out..."

"They'll _never_ find out, because we'll keep this between us," Wolfram said, with determination. "Even if they did find out somehow, they would be alright with it considering that you weren't in your right mind."

"Wolfram..."

"The _only_ reason I don't want anyone to find out that you might have been the masked man is that Gwendal won't take too kindly to it," Wolfram said.

Wolfram watched Murata visibly shudder at the idea of Gwendal finding out that he may have been the one that did those _things_ to his beloved knitted animals. "Yes, I see where you're coming from."

They lapsed into silence again, both contemplating the conversation that had just taken place. After a minute or two, Murata spoke up again.

"Wolfram, how can you be so comfortable with what I've just told you? I was certain that you'd be upset," the Sage said, quietly.

"If you had been doing it on purpose, then yes, I _may_ have been upset. But whoever it was that had been harassing me wasn't you. He may have used your body, but it wasn't you. Besides, you're straightforward with your perversions, and wouldn't bother with a mask and costume to sexually harass me," Wolfram said, his last sentence an attempt to lighten the mood.

It worked. Wolfram heard Murata laugh for the first time since their conversation started, and couldn't help but join him in his mirth. The two laughed together for a good minute.

"Wolfram... don't ever change. Just... don't," Murata said through his laughter.

"I don't intend to, Sage" he said with a smirk.

"I wish you would call me Murata – or even Ken – more. We've known each other for quite some time, and we're close enough that "Sage" seems so formal."

Wolfram was touched. It was one of many times that day that Murata had reached out to him. "Alright... Murata."

Murata nodded at his usage of his current family name.

"Thank you for confiding in me," Wolfram said, suddenly. He hadn't wanted to make the conversation go serious again, but he thought it was important that Murata know how much he appreciated his effort. "I know how you like to keep things to yourself sometimes, and considering the circumstance behind this, I'm touched."

The Sage looked at him and smiled. "Thank you for being so understanding," he said, and Wolfram could read so much in those few words and the expression of relief on Murata's face.

Wolfram nodded, and smiled back at the other man. They sat in silence for a few moments.

"Say... Murata. Was the masked man someone you used to be?" Wolfram asked. Right after he said those words, he remembered where he had heard the man's accent before. When he had taken care of Murata after he fell, it was one of many he used during his nightmares. He decided not to bring that up to the Sage, however.

"I'm not sure, Wolfram. It may have been someone I once was, or maybe even someone I pretended to be. After all, I was a stage actor in a couple of my lifetimes."

Wolfram was intrigued by those former lifetimes of Murata's. "Tell me about it," he said, and quickly added "if you wish" upon remembering how the Sage didn't like to talk about his former lifetimes.

Murata looked at Wolfram thoughtfully. "Okay," he said, and launched into his tale.

Wolfram listened, completely enraptured by Murata's tale of those particular lifetimes of his. He was fascinated at the details, and laughed when the Sage told him about all the mishaps behind – and on – the stage.

Murata's tale about his role on stage led into a discussion about the various tales of masked men on Earth, and Wolfram found himself amazed at all of the masked men that Murata mentioned. He especially loved the concept of "Super Heroes", as the Sage called them, and was excited when Murata promised to bring some things back from Earth to show him about them.

Before long, the sun started to set, and neither of the men could believe that they had held a discussion with each other alone for several hours. They wrapped up their conversation with promises to hang out with each other like that again often, and parted ways – each thinking about the other in a new light.

Both men felt a shift in their relationship towards promising things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This marks the end of the "Admirer" arc. The next chapter is a bridge chapter, and then we head into the "Sage" arc.


	9. Shifting Over the Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wolfram and Murata grow closer as the year passes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bridge chapter.

From that day when Murata opened up to Wolfram, the two young men grew closer to each other. Often, when he wasn't training his troops or doing other duties, Wolfram could be found hanging in the shrine gardens with Murata – usually listening to more of his lifetime stories, among other things.

Both men found out interesting things about each other. Wolfram learned that Murata was generally a fun person to be around – and that even though the Sage had been through lifetimes of pain, it hadn't stopped him from moving on and enjoying life whenever possible.

Wolfram took note of this, and it was his inspiration to move on and enjoy his own life as well. Gone was the insecure young man who hid behind anger; Wolfram had grown with the help of Murata.

Murata learned that Wolfram loved literature. Murata would find various books that he thought Wolfram might be interested in, and translated them for him. He also got the boy hooked on manga and American comic books involving superheroes, which he also translated.

Wolfram cracked up when Murata – who was surprisingly good at art – presented him with a drawing of Gwendal in a Wonder Woman costume for his birthday. They had both gotten more than a few glares from Gwendal for looking at each other and snickering during the next meeting after that. When Yuuri curiously asked them about it afterwards, they showed it to him – and laughed at how he couldn't keep his face straight when he saw Gwendal for several days afterwards.

It wasn't just the friendship between Murata and Wolfram that strengthened, however. Sometimes, when he did have some free time, Yuuri would hang out with the two. Though Murata didn't get into as intense discussions about his past with Yuuri as he did with Wolfram, there was a indescribable comfort between the three that hadn't been there before.

Sometimes, Wolfram went back to Earth with Murata for a few days or a week at a time. There, they'd scout various bookstores and manga shops. He would pick up whatever piqued Wolfram's interest, and translate it for him later on. Murata took him to various amusement parks, and though Wolfram avoided anything that made too much motion, they still had fun with each other and, sometimes, Yuuri.

The newfound friendship between Wolfram and Murata didn't go unnoticed to those around them. Yozak _never _failed to make a remark implying that the two were romantically together. Gwendal and Conrart raised their eyebrows whenever the two entered a room together, and commented several times about them being "attached at the hip". Both men chose to pointedly ignored Yozak, who loudly mumbled "more like at the crotch" each time he heard them say so.

Though remarks linking them together made them deny it, they were sure that the others weren't convinced that they weren't in a relationship. Certain comments and rumors made about a physical relationship between the two made their way back to them. Wolfram had been furious about most of them, and wasn't very amused when Murata relayed them and laughed about them – especially the one about them and Yuuri secretly dressing like the maids and engaging in threesomes.

Wolfram got the last laugh, however, when they discovered that a betting pool between the maids and several guards was seventy-three percent in favor of Wolfram topping Murata. This caused the Sage to huff and get into a debate with Wolfram (which Yuuri fled so fast from that it prompted Murata to draw him dressed as "The Flash") over which one of them would be the dominant one. When both men realized that they were arguing over a sexual relationship between the two as if it were _inevitable_ that they would even _have_ one, they both blushed brightly and mutually decided to not even bring up gossip and betting pools anymore.

It was after that particular discussion that both men started to seriously contemplate a relationship beyond just being friends, though they didn't admit it to each other. Both of them had their own insecurities, and couldn't believe that the other could sincerely return their feelings.

For Murata, it was the fear that Wolfram would somehow be "settling" for him since he didn't end up with Yuuri. He knew that Wolfram had loved Yuuri for years, and had continued to love him after giving up on him. He didn't want to step in and essentially be the rebound lover; if he was going to be with Wolfram, he wanted it to be the real thing.

Another fear of his was messing up the friendship that they had gained. He had acknowledged to himself not too long after the blackouts ended that he had feelings for Wolfram, but he had pushed them to the back of his mind in favor of their developing friendship. However, the closer they got, the more intense his feelings became.

He was amused to realize, belatedly, that the reason why he had stopped being interested in going out and having flings _before_ his accident was because he had wanted something real even back then. He remembered how, even then, he found himself often thinking about Wolfram. He couldn't quite pinpoint when he started having feelings towards him or what, if anything, triggered them – all he knew was that he could lose so much if he confessed those feelings out loud to Wolfram.

Wolfram's fears were just as complex. Though he knew that a part of Murata had feelings for him, he found it hard to believe that it was a big part. Or, rather, he found it hard to believe those feelings were intended for himself and not for Shinou, who the Sage revealed that he used to be with many years ago.

Wolfram wondered if that part of Murata had desired him only because of his uncanny resemblance to Shinou. He had been beyond shocked when the Sage had revealed that he had a short relationship with his lookalike, and it had jumbled his emotions something fierce.

That revelation had come not too long after Wolfram realized how deeply his affections had grown for Murata, and it was the cause of many a sleepless night, which was spent lying awake and brooding over having fallen for another unreachable target after getting over the first one.

These combined fears would continue to keep the young men apart for quite some time, until two men – one of them _highly_ unlikely – would step up to the plate and give them the final push they so desperately needed.


	10. The Profoundness of the (Drunken) Maou

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Murata sees another side of Yuuri that he didn't know existed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is now the "Sage" arc.

Another night, another club. Though Murata had been totally uninterested, he went along with Yuuri on the almost impossible chance that he'd find someone who could take his mind off of Wolfram. Sadly, that didn't happen, and the more he drank, the more frustrated he became with it all.

By the time Yuuri (who also didn't luck out on finding someone that night) and he left the club, both were drunken and holding each other up. Yuuri, who had been spending less time at home and more time at Murata's, decided to crash over at Murata's new apartment.

This minute decision would prove crucial to everything.

* * *

"Murataaaa," Yuuri slurred out. "Cook something, I'm hungry."

"Idiot, do I look like I can _move_, let alone get up and cook?" Murata mumbled.

Both men were laid out side-by-side on their backs on Murata's living room floor, still drunk. That was as far as either of them could make it when they initially came in the door, and an hour later neither of them could still be bothered to go any further.

"Surely you have some snacks or something," Yuuri whined as he managed to finally roll over and look at Murata.

"I do, but I still can't move to get them," Murata said. "Feel free to get up and help yourself."

"Fine, fine," Yuuri said, and sighed.

Murata watched with amusement as Yuuri tried, and repeatedly failed, to even _sit up_ to get up.

"Don't laugh at me!" Yuuri said in annoyance, which made Murata laugh even harder.

"Ooh, that's so damn pitiful!"

"Shut up!"

"I'll shut up when you sit up – and it doesn't look like you'll be doing _that_ anytime soon."

"Jerk," Yuuri grumbled, still annoyed. He rolled over onto his side, away from Murata.

"Man, you're a mean drunk. I'm not going to drink with you anymore, especially if you're going to take out your failure to get laid on me," Murata said.

"Who's being mean now? Besides, it's not like _you_ got any action tonight _either_."

"I simply didn't find anyone interesting to me, while you repeatedly got shot down. Huge difference."

Murata laughed as Yuuri mumbled several expletives directed his way. After his giggling and Yuuri's curses against his ancestors died down, the two men fell silent.

Murata assumed that Yuuri had finally given up on his journey for a snack, and had fallen asleep. He continued to lay on the floor with his eyes closed, his mind wandering and not focusing on anything in particular.

After a few minutes, Murata was startled when Yuuri spoke up.

"Say, Murata... Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"What's going on between you and Wolfram?"

Murata was shocked by Yuuri's question, but quickly recovered and answered. "Yuuri, don't tell me you're starting to take the castle gossip to heart too-"

"No, I'm not talking about the gossip," Yuuri interrupted, slurring his words. "I'm talking about the way you two act."

Murata rolled on his side to look at Yuuri, who still has his back to him. "What do you mean by that?"

"It's hard to explain. It's just... when I talk to one of you, it's like I'm talking to the other at the same time."

He was confused by Yuuri's statement. "I still don't understand..."

"Well, it's like you two have rubbed off on each other," he said. "For example, when I'm alone with him, he acts like you do."

Murata was pained at the thought of Wolfram alone with Yuuri, but his curiosity about what he was getting at prevented him from ending the conversation. "How does he act?"

"Well, before... things were sort-of awkward between us after the engagement ended. It was like he was forcing himself to be around me sometimes. Yet, now, things are comfortable between me and Wolfram like they are between me and you. Ever since he became close to you, it's been that way."

"I still don't see how that's acting like me..."

"It's the small things. Cracking jokes at my expense. Laughing with and at me. Giving me advice. Those are things that he does now that he didn't really do before he started hanging with you."

Murata was stunned. He knew that Wolfram had become more open when alone with _him_ in those ways, but he had simply assumed that Wolfram was _already_ like that privately with Yuuri. He hadn't known that, in reality, it hadn't quite been that way.

The reveal was astonishing.

"And then, there's you," Yuuri said, interrupting Murata's thoughts.

"Me?"

"Yes. I can see parts of him in you," Yuuri said. "You've become meaner."

"What?" Murata shot straight up and glared down at Yuuri's form, which was shaking with laughter.

"And more hotheaded!"

"Idiot!"

"See?"

Murata rolled his eyes at Yuuri's comments, but didn't deny them. It wasn't that he was not like that before; he simply didn't show that side of him to Yuuri.

Until Wolfram.

Murata realized then that Yuuri was right about the both of them. The past year between him and Wolfram had really changed them both. He didn't know what to think about it all, or how this fit in the grander scheme of things. Before he could think any deeper about the matter, Yuuri suddenly sat up and grabbed his arm, and Murata looked at him in shock.

"Murata," Yuuri said.

"What?" he asked, looking at his friend's suddenly serious expression.

"Do you love Wolfram?" Yuuri asked, staring into Murata's eyes.

Murata paused. He had sobered up enough to be alarmed at what his answer may cause, but the intensity of Yuuri's stare wouldn't allow him to brush off the question with a small lie.

He stared into his friend's eyes for a few seconds longer before the alcohol, and his heart, caused him to answer truthfully.

"Yes."

Murata expected Yuuri to look shocked, or confused, or even slightly appalled. What he didn't expect, however, was for his friend to look _relieved, _and his next remark caused Murata to temporarily question his own sanity.

"I'm glad," Yuuri said with a sigh, and gave Murata a small smile.

"Wha... what?" Murata asked. He was beginning to think it was all a dream. "Since when are you alright with a man being in love with another man?"

"For quite some time now. Even though I don't swing that way, I don't mind what other people do."

Murata's mouth hung open. He made a mental note to write down what he could remember when he became fully sober, because he didn't think Yuuri would ever say such things again.

"You should tell him how you feel, Murata," Yuuri said.

Murata squawked at the comment. "What makes you think I can do that! Besides, it's not like he feels the same way."

"I think he does," Yuuri said, which prompted Murata to raise his eyebrow.

"Why do you think that?"

"It's just... the way he looks at you now – it's the same way he used to look at me," Yuuri said, softly. "I'm glad that you return his feelings. He deserves to have someone love him back."

Murata was in absolute awe. Yuuri had essentially revealed that he had noticed how deeply Wolfram had cared for him. He purposely ignored the remark about how Wolfram looked at him and focused on that.

"You... knew how much he loved you? Why didn't you let him know?"

"I couldn't bring myself to reject him flat out. After all, I _am_ a wimp," Yuuri said, his voice tinged with sadness. "So I took the coward's way out, and waited until _he_ ended things. I felt so bad about it, and I still haven't really forgiven myself for it."

Murata was stunned by Yuuri's confession. He couldn't find any words to address what he said.

"I even tried to discourage him from becoming interested in you, because I thought you were straight. I didn't want him to get hurt again. Even when you confessed that you went both ways, it still bothered me. I didn't want him to get any false hope because of other people trying to push you two together."

Murata looked at his friend. The man in front of him had proven himself to be much more astute than he had let on, and he felt like the obtuse one for not realizing it sooner. He felt pity for Yuuri, who had held all of this inside of him and had essentially played the "bad guy" by pretending to be dense. As misguided as it may have seemed, it was proof that Yuuri cared for Wolfram in his own way.

"So tell him how you feel, before he gives up on you too," Yuuri said, and smiled at Murata.

"I don't want to be second in his heart to you, Yuuri," Murata said, sadly. He was still unconvinced that Wolfram cared for him, and was afraid that if he did make a move, Wolfram would only accept him as a replacement for Yuuri.

"Murata, have you _ever_ been in love in any of your lifetimes?" Yuuri asked, suddenly.

"Yes, of course. Several times. Why do you ask?"

"Was the first time you fell in love the only time you really loved someone? Were all the other loves after that rebound for you?"

"No, of course not!"

"Then why can't you realize that just because Wolfram loved someone _before_ you doesn't mean that his love for you now isn't the real thing?"

More profoundness from the drunken Maou. Murata decided that he would, once he got back to Shin Makoku, inform Gwendal that plying Yuuri with alcohol before meetings and other important events would make things go much smoother.

"I see your point," he said.

"Good. _Now_ will you tell him how you feel?" Yuuri asked.

Murata thought hard about Yuuri's revelations and encouragement that night, and gave his friend the most truthful answer that he could.

"I'll have to think on it a little longer," he said.

Yuuri nodded, and pushed himself up off the floor. "And now, snack time!" he declared.

Murata laughed as his friend staggered his way into the kitchen to rummage for food.

"You don't know how much I appreciate tonight, Shibuya," he said quietly to himself.

* * *

And so, Murata thought about it. Day and night, for several weeks. He even dreamed about it, dreams that were so real that he either woke up in misery over Dream-Wolfram's cruel rejection of him, or twisted around his soiled sheets over Dream-Wolfram's more-than-happy acceptance of him.

It was driving him nuts.

He knew that he couldn't hide his feelings much longer, and resolved himself to making a move. He made himself remember that time heals all wounds, and that even if things didn't work out between him and Wolfram, that he would probably, at least, still have him as a friend.

After all, wasn't he still friends with Shinou?

* * *

While Murata was driving himself insane on Earth, Wolfram was mirroring his actions in Shin Makoku. He was still having trouble sleeping, and when he did bother to slumber, his dreams were filled with Murata rejecting him for not being Shinou, or laughing at him behind his back with Shinou while they discussed how stupid he was to believe that Murata loved him. He even had nightmares that Shinou took complete control over his body so that he and Murata could be together.

The nightmares, coupled with not having seen Murata for a while, made him want to scream.

He knew that something had to give, sometime soon. His sanity, and his heart, could only take but so much.


	11. Love and Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wolfram gets his own counseling session from someone who just loves to meddle in people's affairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 11: Love and Friendship

It had been three months in Shin Makoku since Wolfram had last seen Murata. He wondered if there was something wrong, especially considering that Yuuri had come and gone several times by himself without the Sage.

He confronted Yuuri about it and asked if Murata was alright. Yuuri had smiled and assured him that he was, but that he was doing something important on Earth. Wolfram had almost asked to go back with Yuuri the last time he left, but refrained.

He desperately wanted to attempt to use his time apart from Murata to put his feelings in check, but the longer the Sage stayed away, the worse they seemed to get. More than anything, Wolfram hated knowing that Murata (or, at least, part of him) potentially returned his feelings – but perhaps only because of his resemblance to his past lover.

Wolfram thought that maybe he was over-thinking things, and considered that he had become so used to brooding that it felt _comfortable _and _safe_ to him. After all, Murata had given him no indication whatsoever that he still loved Shinou – and when he mentioned that past relationship, he had done so casually.

Wolfram supposed that he could _ask_ Murata if he still did, but wondered just how he could bring that up without the Sage becoming suspicious as to _why_ he was asking. Wolfram definitely couldn't tell him the answer to that.

Or could he?

Could he really tell Murata how he felt about him?

He thought about how brave the Sage had been when confiding in him that he had been the masked man, and wondered where he could find some of that courage on his own.

* * *

Not for the first time since he and Murata became closer friends, Wolfram found himself making his way to the same shrine garden where the Sage had first confided in him.

He often came there when he needed some time alone, and today was no different. Wolfram had taken a walk to get away from the questions directed his way from his brothers, whom had noticed that he seemed more tired than normal. He really had no explanations for them that weren't completely embarrassing, so he essentially avoided them whenever possible. He hadn't even meant to come to the shrine, he had simply done so unconsciously.

He would eventually claim that perhaps he hadn't come on his own will that day at all.

* * *

Wolfram laid on his back on one of the benches in the shrine garden with his hands behind his head, lost in his own world. He had his eyes closed, and was imagining all the possible scenarios of what would happen if he got up the nerve to tell Murata how he felt.

When he felt an abnormal presence near him, he didn't even have to open his eyes to recognize the being that he was so attuned to.

"Shinou," Wolfram acknowledged the dead king.

"I must be losing my touch," Shinou said. "You didn't even see me."

"Let's just say I'm used to you now," Wolfram said.

"Ah, I guess that can't be helped."

Wolfram opened one eye to peek up at the translucent being. "Do you need anything?" he asked.

"Not really. I'm just here to marvel at how much you look like me," Shinou said, his voice filled with what Wolfram suspected was amusement.

Wolfram opened the other eye, and stared at the man's form. He wondered just what he meant by that.

"Why are you doing that _now_, of all times?"

"No real reason. I was simply thinking about you and _my_ Daikenja."

Wolfram felt a chill go through his body at how Shinou had addressed Murata as his. The insecurities about his relationship with the Sage that he had temporarily pushed to the back of his mind rushed to the surface of it, and he angrily shot off his mouth.

"What about me and '_your_ Daikenja'?" he said. He sat up on the bench and looked at Shinou through narrowed eyes.

Shinou smirked at him. "I've just noticed how much closer you two are now since the whole 'masked man' incident.. I'm intrigued by it."

"Why?" Wolfram asked, suspiciously. He wondered just what Shinou was trying to get at.

"Why not? Can't I be interested in my friend's life?" Shinou innocently asked.

"Friend, huh? Tell me, just how _friendly_ are you two?" Wolfram asked before he could stop himself.

He mentally kicked himself for bringing it up, but a part of him wanted to get things out in the open for once, and for all. He braced himself for the answer that Shinou would give him.

"Well, as friendly as anyone can be for a few thousands of years," the ghostly figure said with a shrug.

Wolfram's shoulders slumped. Shinou didn't quite answer in a way that clarified things, but he knew that if he pressed it any further the man would figure out just what he was thinking, if he didn't already know.

As luck would have it, Shinou didn't stop there.

"I suppose our friendship is a devoted one. I mean, he has subjected himself to many things for me – has essentially lived his lives _for_ me. No. I take that back. As pompous as I'd like to be here, I know that Daikenja did all of that more for _everyone_, not simply me."

"Still, he was loyal to you," Wolfram said, quietly. "He must care deeply for you, maybe he even loves you."

"Perhaps he does," Shinou said, and shrugged again.

"Doesn't that... affect you? That the Sage may love you?"

Wolfram looked at Shinou, who raised his eyebrow at his remark.

"That depends on what type of love you're referring to. Is it brotherly love? The love a parent has for their child? The love of a friend? The love of lovers? There are many forms of love, young von Bielefeld. For example, the love you have for your brothers Gwendal and Conrart, while strong, isn't the same as the love you have for the Sage."

Wolfram's mouth dropped open. He was about to protest, but he knew it would pointless considering who the man in front of him was. He decided not to even address that part of Shinou's remark, and instead brought the subject back on the being in front of him.

"I was referring to romantic love," Wolfram said. He paused for a moment, but decided to throw all caution to the wind. "Does the Sage love you?"

"You'll have to ask him, I don't know," Shinou said.

"How can you _not_ know if the Sage loves you when you know almost everything else?" Wolfram asked in frustration, which prompted the other man to laugh.

"If you really want to know, you should ask him how he feels about me... or you."

"I'm not you," Wolfram said.

"No one ever said you were."

"Then why did you tell me to ask him about you, and then say ask him about me as if you meant it like we're the same person?"

"You're reading into my words too much. That's not what I meant at all."

"Then what _did_ you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. Instead of wasting your time asking about his feelings for me, ask him what you really want to know."

"I won't be your substitution," Wolfram said, quietly.

Shinou sighed. "Young von Bielefeld... when he went gallivanting about in a mask a year and a half ago, who was his main target?"

"Me, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"If he were interested in me, he could have easily stayed at the shrine bothering me instead of going out of his way to push you up against the closest hard surface to have his way with you."

Wolfram turned bright red at the remark. "You were there? Why?"

"When one sees their friend go into a trance and then essentially become someone else, they would follow them around to know what's going on, right? He couldn't even feel my presence like normal in that form... of course, he was too busy _doing things with you_ to notice me."

Wolfram's blush – and his embarrassment – deepened.

Shinou continued. "Now really, if he wanted _me_, he wouldn't have been harassing _you_."

"Maybe he wanted someone more... solid?"

"Or maybe he simply wanted you. Why is it so hard for you to realize that his feelings for you are legit?"

Wolfram didn't answer, and instead looked at the ground.

Shinou sighed. "Alright, I'll end this game here since you refuse to get it."

"Game?"

"Listen up closely, because I won't go over it again. Daikenja loved me, briefly – thousands of years ago. He got over me, the very same way you've gotten over the current Maou. Now he loves you."

"How can you be so sure of that? How can you be sure that it isn't just some sort of infatuation with me because I look like you?"

"If that were the case, then perhaps I should be pursuing you as well. After all, you look exactly like Rufus, and I was with Rufus too," Shinou said, sweetly.

"What?"

"Yes, and you two look more alike than even we do. So how about it? "

"You don't have those sort of feelings for me!"

"According to your logic, I should."

"No, no, no! That's not how I see things!"

"Perhaps I should possess the Sage's body and have my way with you."

"You even attempt it and I'll _kill_ you!"

"Is that even possible?"

"I don't know, but I'll try it!"

Shinou laughed at the Wolfram's fearsome glare. "Don't worry, I'm just teasing you. I would never do something like that to him – or you. So quit worrying about it.

Wolfram realized that Shinou was aware of several of his nightmares and fears, and wondered if he had anything to do with them.

"No, though I did take a peek at them."

Wolfram was more than a little spooked that Shinou could read his mind.

A loud splash in the distance interrupted their banter.

"Well, it looks as if my 'seduction' of you will have to continue another day," Shinou said lightly.

Wolfram opened his mouth to protest Shinou's words, but the dead king cut him off.

"Remember what I said here. Happiness is right there, if only you'll let it happen," Shinou said as he disappeared.

Wolfram stood there staring at the spot where the figure had been. Shinou had debunked the worst of his fears and nightmares, but he was still afraid.

"Maybe if I fell and hit _my_ head..." he trailed off. His face turned red at the memory of Murata's sexual innuendos and roaming hands while Wolfram had helped him recover.

"Or maybe not," he said, shaking his head.


	12. Resolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are finally resolved between Wolfram and Murata.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Admirer and the Sage

"Man, I thought once I got used to this it would be easier!" Yuuri said as he stepped out of the fountain.

"Yes, it's one of the worst things about this sort of travel," Murata responded as he followed Yuuri out.

"Try not to fall, clumsy," Yuuri said.

"Shut up."

The two men stood, drying themselves off the best they could with the towels given to them by a shrine maiden. They lightly poked fun at each other while doing so, falling into a routine that had become like second nature between them.

"Welcome back, you two," a voice from behind them sounded out.

Murata didn't miss Yuuri's pointed look directed his way.

"Hello, Wolfram," they chimed together, not bothering to turn around.

Wolfram raised his eyebrow at the two, but didn't say anything. He walked over and stood beside Murata. "I haven't seen you in awhile," he said, his voice neutral.

"Ah yes, I was extremely busy. I'm freed up though – for now," Murata said.

The two continued to glance at each other out of the corner of their eyes.

"Wolfram..."

"Murata..."

Both men started to speak at the same time. They looked at each other, and laughed.

"You go first," Murata said.

"No, you," Wolfram replied.

Neither of them spoke any further, and continued to give each other a sideways glance.

They both heard a chuckle from behind them.

"Have a nice trip," they heard Yuuri say, and before they could respond they were pushed forward into the fountain.

* * *

Wolfram, stunned by the sudden push, sputtered as he appeared in Murata's bathroom.

"Are you alright?" Murata asked as he patted a coughing Wolfram on the back.

"What was that about?" Wolfram coughed out. He hadn't expected to go to Earth, and wondered why Yuuri sent him there.

"Ah... nothing! I guess it's Shibuya's idea of a joke," Murata said. He didn't want Wolfram to know that he had planned for Yuuri to do that.

Wolfram looked at him suspiciously, and wasn't convinced in the slightest by Murata's chipper grin.

"He'll probably be back soon to send us back," Murata said. He knew that wasn't quite true, but he said it to lower Wolfram's suspicions.

Wolfram realized that Murata was hiding something, but decided to go along with it. "Alright, if you say so."

Murata stepped out of the tub, and grabbed Wolfram's hand to help him out. "I'll get you a towel and some clothes."

* * *

Murata – who had left Wolfram behind at his house – slowly walked towards the market. He wanted to purchase a few items to make dinner for Wolfram and himself.

He also planned to tell Wolfram how he felt about him afterwards.

Or, at least, try to tell the other man how he felt.

After Yuuri's night of encouraging words, and a couple of months of deliberation, he knew he was ready to say something. He still didn't know how he was going to broach the subject though – and mentally considered the many ways he could do so.

He only hoped that he got the response that he wanted most.

* * *

While Murata was out visiting the market, a dry and changed Wolfram was sitting in Murata's living room, alone.

Wolfram was also mentally preparing to express his feelings after dinner, and was wondering what would be the best way to bring things up.

He got up and started to pace the floor, practicing what he wanted to say out loud.

"Murata, I've been wanting to tell you this for quite some time..." he started, then paused. "No, I don't like how that sounds."

He paced a few more moments, racking his brain for a good opening to what he had to say.

He tried again. "Murata, please sit down. There's something I have to say..."

He shook his head in frustration. "No, that sounds like I'm going to give him some extremely bad news. I have to be positive," he said.

He walked over to the window and leaned against it, taking in the people and sounds below.

"Murata, I have feelings for you..." he said, softly. He wondered what the Murata would say if he told him that, and imagined all sorts of reactions.

"I could always just... slap him," he said, and shook his head.

"I've charged headfirst into dangerous situations, put my life on the line time and again, and stood up to some of the most evil people in existence," he said. "So why is it I can't tell the man I love, that I love him?"

"Why is it so very hard for me to come up with a way to admit it? Why, when I now know he probably feels the same way?" he asked himself, sadly.

He racked his brain for yet more ways to bring up the subject and confess, but couldn't come up with one he liked.

"Aagh!" he grunted in frustration after a few more moments. "Just what _is_ the best way to tell Murata that I'm in love with him?" he cried out.

He heard a loud crashing sound behind him, and quickly turned around.

Wolfram was terrified to see Murata standing behind him, his face showing that he had heard Wolfram's declaration of love. The bags he had been carrying had been dropped, their contents spilled out onto the floor. He cursed himself for having been thinking so hard that he hadn't heard him come in.

"What did you say?" Murata asked, shocked.

Wolfram wanted nothing more than to bolt at the moment. "I..." he started. He clammed up, too scared to say anything further.

"Did you mean it?"

Wolfram couldn't speak nor move. He was simply terrified at what he thought might take place.

"_Please_ tell me, did you mean it?" Murata asked, his voice cracking.

Wolfram continued to look at Murata, and was surprised to see that the Sage looked as scared as he felt. He couldn't, however, find the courage to say anything else.

He watched as the Sage moved towards him.

"Wolfram," he said, his voice almost pleading. "Please, tell me that you _meant_ it."

Wolfram finally realized then that Murata _wanted_ him to feel that way. Murata _wanted_ him to love him. Murata _wanted_ him!

He wasn't going to reject him _or_ his feelings.

The realization that Murata truly did return his feelings gave him the final push he needed, and he moved towards the man that he had grown so very fond of in the past few years.

"Yes, I meant it," Wolfram admitted. "I love you."

* * *

For several moments after Wolfram said those words, the two young men stared at each other.

Murata simply couldn't believe that Wolfram had said the very words to him that he had been beating himself up trying to find to say for so long. He watched as he moved closer, an uncertain look on his face.

The Sage found himself moving towards Wolfram as well, not sure of what to do. He wanted to tell Wolfram the same, but it felt so unreal that he was afraid he'd wake up at any moment to find it all a dream.

Murata looked at the boy – no – _man_ that stood in front of him. The one who had grown so much, both physically and emotionally, from the childish brat he had first seen and erroneously dismissed him as. He stared into the eyes of the man he had repressed his feelings for, and finally confessed his own feelings.

"I love you too, Wolfram."

* * *

When Murata suddenly pulled him close and kissed him, Wolfram temporarily forgot to breathe. After a few moments, they gently broke off the kiss, still caressing.

"I've wanted to do that for so long," Murata said, and laid his head on Wolfram's shoulder.

"So have I," Wolfram said, and wrapped his arms tighter around Murata.

They continued to hold onto each other, getting used to the closeness that they both had desired for so long.

After awhile, Murata took the initiative and started to lightly kiss the Wolfram's neck, which earned him a murmur of appreciation. After a few more minutes, the Sage started to speak.

"Wolfram, let's..."

"Yes. Let's..."

"Let's make..."

"_Please_, let's make..."

"Let's make dinner."

"What?"

"I said, let's make dinner."

"Oh."

"Oh? Why do you sound so disappointed that I want us to make dinner?"

"Because I _thought_ you were going to say you wanted us to make love."

"Oh."

"Wait a minute, now _you_ sound disappointed."

"Because..."

"Because what?"

"Because it was a perfect moment, lost. You, finally in my arms... and I neglected to lead you to my bedroom during your moment of vulnerability after my awesome declaration of love."

"You do realize that we can still go to your bedroom instead of making dinner, right?"

"Even though the moment is lost?"

"The moment is not lost if I'm still willing to go to your bedroom."

"Are you sure you're ready for it?"

"I've been ready for quite some time."

Well... let's do that instead, then."

* * *

Every thing that happened next came naturally, and neither man regretted it.

Neither of them wanted to wait, or take it slow. It had been almost two years since Murata's accident, and over a year of repressing their feelings for one another. As far as both men were concerned, that was long enough of a wait.

The two men made it to the bedroom, and paused their kisses long enough to remove their clothing. Once they were naked, they held each other close, kissing and touching and rubbing together, taking in each and every sensation that they could.

Murata, the more experienced of the two, decided to take the lead. He sat down on the bed, and pulled Wolfram close to him. He looked up into the face of the man that held so much desire for him; so much love for him.

He lightly kissed Wolfram on his navel, which caused him to gasp at the sudden contact. He slid his hands up his backside, and pulled him even closer – savoring the delightful scent that was unique only to Wolfram – before taking him into his mouth.

Wolfram moaned loudly at the sudden wetness surrounding him, and he did his best not to collapse. As the Sage pleasured him, he started to feel things he had never felt, and made noises that he didn't know were possible for him to make.

He wanted nothing more than to entwine his fingers in Murata's hair, and push himself into that hot moistness as far as he could. However, since he didn't want to do anything that might potentially hurt Murata, he settled for grabbing his own hair and pulling it back as he begged the Sage not to stop.

And he didn't stop. Not until Wolfram shouted and finally _did_ end up collapsing, on his knees, in front of the Sage.

Murata rubbed Wolfram's strong shoulders and back as he laid his head on his thigh. After a few moments of catching his breath, Wolfram – who hadn't forgotten the Sage's own state of excitement – looked up at Murata

"I want... Do you want me to do it to you?" he asked, shyly.

"You don't have to if you don't want to, Wolfram – whatever you feel comfortable doing this time is alright with me. Eventually, however, I'll have my way with you completely," Murata said suggestively, and gave Wolfram a lewd wink.

"Perverted Sage," Wolfram mumbled, which caused him to laugh.

"I'm _your_ perverted Sage, now," Murata said, and smirked.

He didn't ignore that Wolfram's hands had crept between his thighs, and sighed when he started to massage there. He spread his legs a little wider to give Wolfram better access to him.

Finally, Wolfram wrapped one of his hands around his erection, and gave several tentative strokes. Murata's breath hitched in his throat, and he closed his eyes and bit his bottom lip as Wolfram's hand started to speed up.

Murata's eyes shot open when he felt a warm tongue run up the length of his member. He looked down and saw Wolfram had his eyes squeezed shut while doing so.

"Wolfram, like I said, you don't have to...oooh!"

Murata couldn't finish what he said due to Wolfram engulfing him. He gasped, and gritted his teeth while he tried to get used to having him in his mouth.

"Watch the teeth," he groaned, which prompted Wolfram to stop.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's okay, just...cover your teeth with your lips and it won't scrape."

"Alright."

Wolfram took Murata's advice and continued. After a few moments of trying it that way, he managed to get into a rhythm that pleased the Sage _quite a bit_. Pretty soon he was gasping and moaning, and felt himself about to go over the edge.

He withdrew himself from Wolfram's mouth, allowing only his hand to continue its work.

"What's wrong?" Wolfram asked, his stroke slowing.

"Coming. Didn't want to do it in your mouth. Don't stop moving your hand!" he grunted out.

"I would have swallowed like you..."

"Next time you can. Just go faster and harder _now_!"

Wolfram obliged, and within a minute the Sage cried out and spilled himself all over Wolfram's hand. Wolfram, who had watched Murata's face as he orgasmed, started to snicker.

"What's so funny?" Murata asked, breathlessly.

"Nothing, it's just... the face you made was cute. And funny."

"I'm glad to have provided comedic relief for you during such an intimate moment," Murata scoffed, which made Wolfram laugh even harder.

The Sage threw him a towel he had discarded on his bed earlier. "Wipe your hand with that."

Wolfram, still snickering, took the towel and started to do so. Just as he was finishing, Murata suddenly stood up in front of him and yanked him to his feet.

"What are you..." Wolfram started, but the Sage cut him off with a passionate kiss.

When they broke apart awhile later, both of them were once again aroused.

"Now, let's see what _else_ you're comfortable with doing," Murata said, with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

* * *

The two men spent the evening figuring out what the other liked and didn't like.

Murata discovered that Wolfram's neck was his hot spot – and that kissing and biting him there long enough could completely set him off without doing anything else.

Wolfram learned that Murata's spot was behind his knees, and when he kissed and licked him behind one while driving into him, the Sage lost it completely.

Wolfram also discovered that Murata's nipples were extremely sensitive, and that he didn't like for them to be touched too much due to it becoming almost painful to him.

Murata learned that Wolfram couldn't take being fingered as well as orally stimulated at the same time – it was simply too many sensations for him at once.

Both of them discovered that they couldn't be completely serious during sex.

The first time Murata entered Wolfram, he laughed at how Wolfram took his mind off the pain by singing – or, rather, screaming – his rendition of the eleventh Maou's "Ode to a Kohi".

Wolfram amused himself by continuing to laugh at Murata's sex faces – especially when he was riding him. He laughed even harder when the Sage pouted and threatened to withhold sex after Wolfram imitated them.

Murata poked fun at Wolfram because of the way his entire body would lock up and shake during and for several minutes _after_ he came. His teasing prompted Wolfram to make fun of how Murata couldn't decide on which language to stick with during his own, quite vocal, orgasms.

Then finally, after they were both spent and laughed out, they held onto each other, each thinking about just what it was that had taken place.

* * *

"Wolfram, are you still awake," Murata whispered, ten minutes after they both had declared they couldn't do _it_ anymore.

"Yes," he responded. "What do you need?"

"I just wanted to know, are you _sure_ it wasn't too soon for us to do this?"

"Certain. Why? Do _you_ have any regrets?"

"No, not really. I was just worried about you."

Just as Wolfram was about to reassure Murata that he was perfectly fine with everything they'd done, a loud growling sound escaped the Sage's body. Seconds afterward, his own body made a similar sound.

"Well, I guess I do have regrets," Murata said, sheepishly.

"What?"

"We should have made dinner first, after all."

"Idiot."

* * *

After the two cleaned themselves up, they made their way to the kitchen, bickering about whether or not "the moment" would have come had they cooked first, instead. Throughout dinner (in which Murata banned Wolfram from having anything to do with the stove due to the fire damage he caused last time he tried to help cook), they discussed and made plans about a future together that they both looked forward to.

It was a night that they would replay for many years to come.


	13. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The EpiLOLgue... er... Epilogue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Admirer and the Sage

_A Few Years Later_

"Everyone gather around!"

"Stand closer together!"

"Yuuri, is your camera thingie ready?"

"It's set and ready, Wolfram."

"Hurry up and come over before it goes off, Yuu-chan!"

"Coming."

"Everybody say Kohi!"

"Kohi!"

"That's going to make a nice wedding photo."

"Indeed."

"Let's get one of the happy couple by themselves."

"Sure, why not?"

"Okay, Wolfram? Murata? Stand near that fountain over there."

"Ah, the fountain that started it all."

"_Shut up_, Yozak!"

"Alright, stand still."

"It's kind of slippery over here..."

"Be careful, Murata."

"I am being... whoops!"

"Murata!"

"Ken!"

"Oh no, not again!"

* * *

_Three Weeks Later_

The night in Shin Makoku was dark and extremely foggy.

A young maiden was running through the deserted town square, pursued by two very shady men.

She tripped, and they caught up with her. The bigger of the two grabbed her by the hair and yanked her to her feet.

"Just where do you think you're going? I'm bored, and I need some fun. You're going to give it to me, wench!" he said.

"Please, let me go!" she cried out, into the night. "You're hurting me!"

"Oh no, not until you give us a good time," the other one remarked, and groped her breasts.

"Please, stop!"

Neither of the two men noticed the dark figure above, observing them, until its shadow cast down upon them. They looked up, and were horrified by what they saw.

It was some weird, menacing looking man-creature wearing a cape.

He spoke, his words – and accent – foreign to their ears.

"_I am vengeance.._." he started as they let the woman go and started to back away.

The creature pointed at her, and then pointed down the closest path, indicating that she should flee. She obliged, and ran as fast as she could.

"_I am the night..._" he said, his voice unnaturally gravel-like.

They stepped backwards, ready to do some fleeing of their own.

"_I am..._"

Their screams drowned out the rest of what he said as he swooped down on them and made them forever regret just what it was they had attempted to do.

The ghostly figure of Shinou remained out of sight, watching as the two men were delivered a sound beating by the "creature".

"Looks like I have more entertainment coming my way," he said, utterly amused.

* * *

Back at the castle, Gwendal paced his office, worried about all the reports of some Bat-creature running around in town and beating up criminals – while Wolfram sleepily felt around the bed and wondered where his new husband was off to at that time of night.

– End –

* * *


End file.
